


Noir

by capriexo



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Mafia AU, Mafia NCT, Multi, it's kind of self explanatory really, uhh idk what else
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:15:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28231533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capriexo/pseuds/capriexo
Summary: After years of dirty work, boss Jung Jaehyun is ready to go clean.Almost everything is prepared and the first phase to his transition starts soon, but with distractions sent from opposing parties, some people just want to see him fall apart.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Original Female Character(s), Lee Jeno/Original Female Character/Na Jaemin
Kudos: 14





	1. 1/

**Author's Note:**

> everytime i depressed i start a new fanfiction and here it is yeehaw
> 
> also it's not new if u've seen my tumblr so hello from over there hehe 
> 
> either way...enjoy this self-indulgent dumpster fire

“…and then, when you touch it— _SPLAT_!” Jaehyun smiled as Hyerim giggled in his arms, listening intently to her father’s story about pimples. Jaehyun continued due to the reaction, laughing while explaining that her mother used to always get one right smack in the middle.

“Then what?”

“Then, I would poke her right,” Jaehyun took his finger and poked the space in between Hyerim’s eyebrows, “here. She would get so mad when I did that. She would fight me.”

Hyerim laughed and laughed, her father laughing next to her until they heard the door open and said mother was standing at the door. Jaehyun quickly stopped his laughing while Hyerim continued to giggle quietly next to her, desperately shushing her before Jihyun walked towards them, squeezing herself next to Hyerim before pulling her close.

“Is Daddy telling you about my pimple story?”

“Yeah,” she smiled. “Daddy said it was your third eye.”

“Hyerim, you weren’t supposed to _tell her_!” Jaehyun whined, endless giggles coming from Hyerim as Jihyun glared at her husband across from her.

“Hyerim, you know Daddy sweats so much? When Mommy and Daddy got married Daddy was so nervous he—“

“ _Alright_! I think it’s time for bed, my love,” Jaehyun smiled, kissing Hyerim on her cheeks until he pulled away. “Honey, are you coming?”

Jihyun narrowed her eyes but sat up from Hyerim’s tiny bed, kissing her daughter on the forehead, “I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Jaehyun winked and squeezed Jihyun’s shoulders before they left the room, the two falling on their bed not long after as they laid in silence before Jihyun faced her husband.

“Do you work tomorrow?”

“I have a meeting, tonight,” Jaehyun explained. He took Jihyun’s hand in his own to kiss her knuckle. “It’ll be the last late-night meeting for a while, maybe ever, but it needs to happen.”

Jihyun frowned and curled close to her husband, closing her eyes and relishing in his hands rubbing her back, “will you be back for breakfast?”

“I should be.”

Jihyun sighed and pulled her husband in for a quick kiss, “wake me up when you leave, okay? Call me when you’re on your way back.”

“Always,” he reassured.

Jaehyun had about two hours before he left, so he spent them against his wife’s body, running his fingers through her still damp hair while she slept soundly on his chest. When it was near time for him to go, he removed himself from his warm bed to get dressed.

Jihyun sat up sleepily upon feeling the lack of her husband's warmth, receiving a kiss, and being pressed back into bed, “are you leaving?”

Jaehyun nodded, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Jihyun only hummed a response, her head falling back on her pillow.

Jaehyun chuckled to himself softly before patting her hair. He moved quietly back into the hallway and down the hall to Hyerim’s room. Fast asleep and attached to her doll, Jaehyun kissed her forehead next before caressing her face, leaving the room again to close it behind him.

Jaehyun was already dreading his meeting by the time he got into his car, resting his head against the car seat as he waited for his car to heat up. Surely, the meeting couldn’t be as bad as his members were making it out to be, and yet, the list of what to do proves him wrong. Regardless, he pulled out of his driveway with a large sigh once he deemed his car warm enough, driving towards the office.

The office really consisted of a small warehouse outside of Seoul that was about an hour commute. Jaehyun found himself close to falling asleep several times but arrived at the warehouse semi-awake with a cup of lukewarm coffee in his hands. Jaemin was outside on his phone, smoking casually and smiling into the receiver.

“Mm, I love you more, Angel,” Jaemin cooed. “I’ll show you how much when I get home. Kiss Jeno for me.”

Jaemin made eye contact with his brother and winked quickly, handing him the blunt in his hand as Jaehyun took a hit, “I’ll call you later, baby. I’ve got to go.”

“Didn’t you just come from home?” Jaehyun asked cheekily, taking one more hit before passing the blunt back to his brother, “why the phone call?”

“I left without saying goodbye,” Jaemin sighed. “You know how Yejin gets.”

“I don’t actually.” Jaehyun smiled at him and patted his back while they walked towards the entrance.

The small room was already filled with friends and coworkers alike, Johnny yawning over his own cup of coffee while Renjun snored in his chair at the very back of the room.

Mark and Yuta were the only ones wide awake, their lifestyle dominated by the night as they stayed awake with ease now.

“Alright, let’s get this over with,” Jaehyun yawned, “I don’t want to be here anymore than you do.”

After three hours of their next steps and financial issues, Jaehyun finally called his meeting to an end. Mark and Yuta were the first to leave despite being the ones most awake. Renjun left shortly after, patting Jaehyun on the back and telling him he would stay had it not been for his jet waiting impatiently for him. Jaehyun only smiled and dismissed him, staying behind with his brother and his consigliere, Johnny.

“Irene called me last night,” Johnny said simply. “She wants to see you before we start our first phase.”

“About?”

Johnny frowned, “nothing good.”

Jaehyun simply shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck, “it's better to get these things over with. I’ll call her today and see her tomorrow if I can, if not I’ll schedule something with her. It can’t be that bad.”

Johnny gave his friend an apprehensive look, to which Jaehyun replied with a shake of his head. Jaehyun instead turned to face his brother to talk about his concern before the three ultimately went their separate ways.

Back in the cold car, Jaehyun picked up his phone and dialed a familiar number, listening to it ring until the voice on the other end brought a smile to his face.

_“Are you on your way?”_

Jaehyun gave a hum in confirmation, “I’ll be home in an hour. Go back to bed.”

_“I’ll stay up if you—“_

“That's what I want the least,” he reassured, pulling down the sun visor once he noticed the beginning sun rays hit him in the eye. “I’ll see you in a little.”

_“Drive safe.”_

“Always.”

The drive home seemed longer to him this time around, itching to be back in bed with his wife the entire drive home, almost skipping out of the car once he finally did.

He removed his clothing upon entering the bedroom, pulling on his pajamas once more before walking to bed, noticing a lump in his spot as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Lo and behold, Hyerim had somehow found her way on his side. Too tired to send her back to her own bed, Jaehyun scooped the 5-year old into his arms and properly laid next to his wife as their daughter drooled on Jaehyun’s pajama shirt as Jihyun threaded her fingers with his.

“Everything okay?” She asked sleepily, her eyes barely opening to snuggle into his embrace.

“Everything’s okay,” he said before kissing her hair.

Jihyun woke up fully two hours later to the sound of Hyerim crying in her sleep. She frowned and pulled her close, soothing her until she finally woke up on her own, looking around in confusion as Jihyun shushed her and hugged her.

“Just a dream, sweetheart,” she said. Hyerim took a breath of relief as she curled closer to her mother, awake as the latter ran her fingers through knotted hair.

“Let's go make breakfast, hm?” She prompted. “Do you want to make breakfast or sleep with Daddy?”

“I’m sleepy,” she croaked.

“Okay, baby, stay with Daddy,” Jihyun kissed her forehead. “I’ll be downstairs.”

“...actually I want to go with you,” Hyerim said, sitting up and following her mother to the bathroom. Hyerim sat at the sink and brushed her teeth while Jihyun did the same and washed her face at the same time. She would squint when her mother lovingly washed eye boogers from her face and real boogers from her nose, leading to a giggle when Jihyun gasped whenever she found a big one.

“These look like Daddy’s,” she exclaimed, smiling at Hyerim’s cackle before picking her up from the counter and walking down the stairs.

Hyerim never did anything but she always boasted about helping, her help consisting of her sitting on the kitchen island and opening up containers of side dishes to put them in bowls. Dexterity-wise, sure, she was helping, but really it was a task to keep her away from the stove.

Breakfast consisted of normal side dishes and a few protein choices that Jihyun had prepared the night before. Their housekeeper, Mrs. Chu, didn’t come on the weekends, so all the cooking was either done by Jaehyun or Jihyun, sometimes Hyerim now that she knew how to use the microwave.

Even on weekends, Jihyun didn’t feel like cooking—what with cooking every day for a living, the last thing she wanted to do was wake up and do it again. Sometimes she made the argument that it was different because it was for her family, but today was not that day as she would admit that she was feeling particularly lazy.

Jaehyun made his way to the kitchen about an hour later, earning a pout from his wife as they shared a kiss, “you should sleep more.”

“I feel sick if I sleep too much,” he smiled.

“Good morning, cutie,” Jaehyun’s beamed, squishing Hyerim’s cheeks to press sloppy kisses to them, “are you helping Mama?”

“Yep! Look, I finished!”

“You’re the _best_! Do you wanna be a chef like Mommy or a businessman like Daddy?”

Hyerim scrunched her nose, “those are boring, Daddy.”

“Good. They better sound boring,” Jihyun said behind them.

Jaehyun chucked and opened his arms for Hyerim to jump inside, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck, standing next to Jihyun to watch her cook.

“What do you want to be then, Hyerim?”

She hummed pensively and swung her feet while she thought, “I want to sell flowers.”

Jaehyun’s heart tightened as he squeezed his baby tighter, “you’re so _cute_ , I love you so _much_.“

Breakfast consisted of a stew and the side dishes Hyerim prepared. Jaehyun sat her down in her high chair and served her before he sat down himself, Jihyun munching quietly on some eggs while she watched Hyerim blow on her food and eat quietly.

Breakfast was always quiet for the Jung family. Jaehyun was always overthinking about something while his wife found comfort in the quiet after being raised in a household with four older brothers. In fact, even before Hyerim, the couple would eat their meals in silence, only speaking to ask for a napkin or to ask what the plan was for work or the weekend.

If they broke the silence now, at all, it was usually because Hyerim was curious about something or asked for a dish to eat, but once her food cooled enough for her to eat, she put all her concentration there.

“Do you think we should get a d-o-g?” Jaehyun asked, picking peas off his plate and placing them on Jihyun’s.

“N-o,” she glared. “The last thing I want is something yapping around.”

“We’ll get a big one.”

“ _Fuck_ no.”

“Oh! Daddy! Mommy said a bad word!”

“I know,” Jaehyun pinched her hand and smiled at her yelp.

“Sometimes when Daddy speaks nonsense I have to say them, baby.”

“Can I—?”

“No,” they both said in unison. Hyerim pouted and went back to eating, not long before giving a loud sigh.

And just like that, they returned to silence. Jaehyun’s hand found Jihyun’s under the table as he clasped their fingers together, his thumb running over her knuckles as she looked through her phone at the messages she got this morning.

Once the trio had finished their meal, Jaehyun lifted Hyerim from her seat and watched her run around while the two adults gathered plates and let them soak. Hyerim demanded her hair to be braided and Jaehyun did so while he made absentminded conversation about work that he was allowed to talk about. Hyerim asked her own questions about his job, to which Jaehyun answered honestly, enough to the extent of boring her and jumping off his lap to go play in the living room by herself. Jaehyun helped washed the dishes with Jihyun drying them on their side.

“Do you really want a dog?”

Jaehyun smiled and shook his head, “I was just thinking about it. I was also curious to see if you still hated them.”

“I don’t hate them, they’re just a lot of work.”

“Like a child isn’t?” Jaehyun scoffed, smiling when she bumped her hip against his.

“I just…they seem overly messy. I think we got lucky with Hyerim and her neat-freakiness.”

“She is really neat isn’t she?” Jaehyun hummed.

Hyerim’s favorite nighttime activity was perhaps taking a bath. It could have to do with the immense pool of bubbles that were always inside waiting for her or perhaps even the fancy bath bombs that she’s allowed every so often, but every night she was excited to fall asleep to the lavender lotion.

Another thing, Hyerim spent most of her time asleep.

The couple was worried about it initially, more so in the initial stages of their parenting when Hyerim refused to wake up for her meals and when her diaper was soiled. Jihyun remembered waking up in two-hour intervals without Hyerim waking her up, terrified that there was something wrong up until she decided to sleep in the same bed with her until she was no longer concerned about her health—but even then, after a few doctor visits, they simply reassured that Hyerim was just a child who found comfort in sleeping and that she felt safe enough to do so.

Funnily enough, when the couple finished washing dishes, they walked into the living room to find Hyerim laying down on the couch with her favorite stuffed animal on her chest, her eyes heavy and not quite asleep as she watched cartoons on the TV. It would be a matter of seconds at this point, Jihyun laughing to herself as Hyerim made hands to be held. Jihyun did so without another word, patting her on the bottom as Hyerim went limp in her arms.

Jaehyun sat on the couch and patted the spot next to him, throwing an arm over Jihyun’s shoulder as they watched tv themselves. Somewhere in the middle of the movie they had been watching, Hyerim squirmed to lay flat on both of their laps, her thumb in between her mouth before Jaehyun noticed and removed it.

“Do you ever think about having another baby?” Jaehyun asked curiously, smiling at Jihyun’s laugh. “What?”

“I was thinking the same thing just now,” she sighed, resting her head against his shoulder. “I do, all the time, but I was never sure about whether or not you would approve of it.”

“Is it something to approve?”

“It’s definitely something to have a conversation about,” she explained. “Do you want another baby?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to having another one, but, it’s up to you.”

“I don’t mind,” Jihyun hummed, looking up at her husband with a sly grin, “are we actually going to plan this time?”

Jaehyun chuckled, “depends. I think it works better when we do whatever we want.”

“How about now?”

Jaehyun pretended to look at his watch, “I think I have time.”

Jihyun laughed and pulled her husband in for a kiss, “put the baby in her bed. I’ll meet you upstairs.”

Jaehyun held her hand up until she left for the stairs, sighing and pulling Hyerim up so that she wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her up the stairs and towards her bed, gently laying her against the mattress until she whined out, her arms fastening.

“It’s okay, baby, go back to sleep.”

“Stay.”

Jaehyun pressed his lips in a tight line, “Daddy has to use the bathroom, I’ll be back later.”

Hyerim made a whining noise again, her eyes opening slightly before Jaehyun sighed, “okay, fine, fine. I’m right here.”

Jaehyun tried his escape several times before Hyerim finally entered a deeper sleep stage, replacing himself with a random toy as he barely escaped her hold. He let out a breath of relief when he closed her bedroom door behind him, shuffling excitedly to the other room where he heard the shower going off in their ensuite bathroom. Jaehyun grinned to himself and made his way to the bathroom, removing his clothing and stepping inside the shower himself, and wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

“What took you so long?”

“I think she was having a nightmare, a small one though,” he replied, pressing kisses down her shoulder. “She’s fine.”

Jihyun bit her lip as she rinsed her body, “we should probably take her to see someone, baby. I think they’re getting worse.”

“You think?” Jaehyun asked, pulling her closer.

Jihyun scoffed and slapped his shoulder, “I’m being serious.”

Jaehyun rolled his eyes, “I know. But we have at least thirty minutes until she wakes up from another one. We can talk about it then.”

Jihyun pouted but allowed herself to fall into her husband’s hold and his kiss. She sighed once she finally allowed herself to relax, her fingers running down his arms while Jaehyun pulled her closer. Jaehyun smiled in their kiss, pulling away to kiss her nose before leaning in to kiss her jaw and her neck.

“Can I be honest?”

“What?”

“I kind of want you to sit on my face right now,” he said with a nip to her shoulder. “If you’ll have me.”

Jihyun laughed and turned off the water, allowed herself to be dragged out of the bathroom and towards their bed.

Jaehyun pulled on his pajama pants before sitting in bed again, kissing Jihyun promptly on the lips before kissing her forehead.

“She’s been sleeping a while, don’t you think?” Jihyun asked, sitting up and wrapping the blanket around her arms. “Maybe I should—“

Just then, cries were heard from the monitor, Jaehyun instantly grimacing before standing up, “I’ll go get her.”

He sped through the hallway and into Hyerim’s bedroom, taking her into his arms and soothing her quietly until her sobs were reduced to sniffling cries. Hyerim felt the warmth of someone else close to her and instantly relaxed, falling asleep in her father's arms.

Jaehyun returned to his shared bedroom to see Jihyun was dressed in a pair of leisure pants with a random shirt of his donned on, her frown intensified before she took Hyerim into her own arms and walking back to an armchair.

Jaehyun sat across from her on the bed, watching Jihyun pat her back and shush her to sleep, but the way her forehead creased told him she was worried deeply about something. He moved from his spot on the bed to a spot on the floor in front of her, kissing her knee and squeezing her calf.

“What's wrong?”

Jihyun smiled and shook her head, “It's nothing.”

Jaehyun frowned, in turn, this time, “tell me, Jihyun.”

Jihyun sighed, “maybe...maybe we should wait to have another baby, just until we find something that works for Hyerim. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have two kids who don’t sleep at night.”

“She can sleep with us for a while,” Jaehyun suggested. “It might help.”

Hyerim woke up from her nap an hour later in between her parents in the living room. She blinked slightly before she sat up in her mother’s lap, a kiss on the top of her head.

The appointment to see a sleep doctor was made after Jaehyun and Jihyun discussed her sleeping issues. Nothing made Jihyun more nervous than sending her daughter to specialists, what with Hyerim’s history of being terrified by anyone with a white coat, running and hiding at the sound of doctor’s office.

Jihyun suggested a child psychologist first, but Jaehyun refused. If she was concerned enough to bring someone else into the equation, then it should be a doctor before a shrink. Beaten by the logic from her husband, she made the appointment for the nearest sleep specialist with a frown.

“Did you sleep okay?” Jihyun asked. She knew the answer and she thinks Hyerim did too considering all she did was nod and suck her thumb.

“Honey, your hands are dirty—“

“—she’s fine, Jaehyun. It’s just her thumb,” Jihyun argued in return.

Jaehyun supposed it wasn’t worth arguing over, but Hyerim removed her thumb from her mouth anyway after hearing her mother’s defensive tone.

Dinnertime crept slowly. Hyerim had long since left her parent's laps and left to her playroom upstairs, her parents in the kitchen in a residual tense atmosphere. Jaehyun was the first to break the awkward silence, kissing Jihyun’s temple and rubbing her shoulders.

“Are you alright?”

“Calling doctors stresses me out, I think,” she admitted quietly.

All that was heard in the kitchen was the sound of stew boiling in the background before Jihyun allowed herself to be enveloped in his arms fully. Doctors were a touchy subject for Jihyun as well, ever since her rocky pregnancy and health scares, she couldn’t help but get in her head about what might happen.

“She’s fine,” he repeated. “And so are you, you didn’t do anything to make this happen.”

“I just…” Jihyun sighed and pulled away from her husband just for a moment, “maybe I shouldn’t have coddled her so much when she was a baby. She was sleeping _fine_ until I started sleeping next to her, I shouldn’t have meddled when there was nothing wrong—“

“Nothing _is_ wrong, baby.”

“That’s easy for you to say when you’re not the one around to hear her _scream_ , Jaehyun—“

Jihyun cried silently to herself until she let out a sniffle. When the night terrors originally began, Hyerim was only four and it was only crying. By the time they had progressed into full screams, Jaehyun had been working well through the night, not around to hear them and traumatizing Jihyun even more. Jaehyun was only around for the night where her night terrors were reduced to sweat and whimpers, not having a full idea as to what horrors Jihyun went through every night.

“She screams and she _screams_ and it’s freaking me the fuck out,” she sobbed. “So _please_ , save me your ‘nothing is wrong’ argument.”

Jaehyun pressed his lips in a tight line. He enveloped her in his arms again and Jihyun fell in his chest, her cries reduced to sniffles before she wiped her eyes.

“I’m sorry. It was insensitive,” he said gently.

Jihyun shook her head, “you’re not working overnight anymore, right?”

“No. Yesterday was the last day.”

Jihyun took a deep breath, “I’m going to get Hyerim.”

Jaehyun nodded and squeezed her shoulder before she left, his arm falling limply on his side. He took a deep breath and squeezed the back of his neck, guilt weighing him down. Before he could overthink anymore, his phone vibrated in his back pocket, Johnny’s name on the front as he quickly answered.

“Yeah, Hyung?”

“ _Irene is getting impatient,_ ” he warned.

“I’ll call her tonight, but I won’t be able to see her until tomorrow,” Jaehyun replied. He saw Jihyun and Hyerim come down the stairs, “I’ll call you after dinner.”

“ _Please do_ ,” was the last thing Johnny said before he hung up.

Jihyun noticed Jaehyun’s guilty smile and rolled her eyes, ignoring her husband and placing Hyerim on her high seat.

“Who was that?”

“Johnny Hyung.”

Jihyun nodded.

“Are you leaving tonight?”

Jaehyun sighed and kissed her forehead, “no. I told you, yesterday was the last day.”

Judging by her facial expression, she obviously didn’t believe him, but nodded either way again, “okay. I trust you.”

 _Ouch_. Jaehyun thought to himself.

After dinner, Jaehyun excused himself to make a phone call, walking towards his office while dialing Irene’s number.

“ _I was wondering when you were going to call,_ ” Irene snipped on the other line. “ _We have to talk.”_

“When?”

“ _Tonight_.”

“I can’t keep meeting you at night, Irene. If you would allow it, I’d like to meet you during the day.”

“Y _ou know my policy, Jaehyun—“_

 _I know the stupid fucking policy_ , he thought to himself. “Then tell me tonight, over the phone. I have other things to do tonight.”

“ _It’s_ _urgent_.”

Jaehyun took a deep breath, “then send it over through fucking priority mail, Irene.”

He hung up before she could say anything else.

Irene Bae, otherwise known as Bae Joohyun to her political underlings, was a career politician somewhat indebted to Jaehyun over the course of ten years. He saved her life when he was 19, he found her stalker at 23, and her political career was only possible because of generous donations on the part of an anonymous party, which of course, was Jaehyun and his organizations.

She took pride in her place in office, a pretty woman as a senator wasn’t well heard of. Because of this, she often oversteps her boundaries within Jaehyun’s men and even himself. Jaehyun was patient and allowed her to believe that she had power over him, but with a snap of his fingers, her political career would crumble faster than she could get a press conference for it.

Jaehyun jumped at the sound of the door knocking, Jihyun poking her head inside.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine, yeah,” he cleared his throat and rubbed his chin, knowing immediately by the warmth of his face that his cover had been blown. “What’s up? Do you need anything?”

“Jaehyun, if you really need to go out tonight that’s fine,” she said quietly. “Hyerim will be fine if she sleeps in our bed tonight.”

Jaehyun shook his head, “it’s fine. She’s sending it in the mail.”

“Who is?”

Jaehyun bit his tongue. He forgot about Jihyun and Irene’s bad blood.

“No one,” he reassured.

Jihyun snorted, walking towards her husband to wrap her arms around his waist. She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him, the latter kissing her nose.

“You can say Irene,” she poked. “I know you work with her.”

“Doesn’t hurt to be careful,” he chuckled.

“Also, I didn’t mean to stress you out earlier, baby. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, I’m glad you told me either way. I had no idea that she was screaming in her sleep,” he frowned. “Had I known, I wouldn't have been taking night jobs to begin with.”

“I know but I made it sound like you were just out and about partying,” she sighed. “I forgot that you were stressed about work too.”

“Stressed or not, I’m still her parent. It wasn’t fair of me to leave you alone with her like that. I can’t even…begin to imagine how scared you were.”

“I thought someone was in the house the first time it happened,” she chuckled, embarrassed. “I ran inside her room with a gun but it had been so long since I held one. I probably looked stupid.”

“I would’ve done the same thing,” he reassured, rubbing her back. “We can switch now. I’ll take the night shift.”

Jihyun smiled, “Mrs. Chu will be happy to hear you won’t be awake to make a mess in the house.”

Jaehyun laughed.

The two make their way upstairs to the playroom where Hyerim was on the ground, her feet kicking in the air while she colored a few animals in a random book. She showcased her brilliant art and had her parents applaud her for it, a smile so wide and bright that both of her parents felt their hearts tightening at the sight.

“Bath time, honey,” Jihyun said, picking up the child in her arms and kissing her forehead.

“But I’m not sleepy,” she whined, going limp in her arms. “I had a nap, ‘member? I’m not tired anymore.”

“It’s only seven-thirty, honey,” Jaehyun tried, “fifteen minutes won’t hurt.”

Jihyun agreed with the compromise as the three sat on the ground, Jaehyun sat against the wall while Jihyun removed the braids from Hyerim’s hair.

“Hyerim?” Jaehyun started, “how would you feel about a brother? Maybe a sister?”

“What’s that?” She asked, her eyes never leaving her page.

“You know how you used to live in your mommy’s tummy?”

Hyerim nodded absentmindedly.

“It’s like when Mommy and Daddy make another baby. There would be another baby living in the house with you. If it’s a girl, it’s a sister. If it’s a boy, it’s your brother.”

“We don’t have another room for a baby, Daddy,” she said simply.

Jihyun snorted. Surely Jaehyun’s gym could be moved to the basement, “we have room, Honey.”

“Then I’m okay,” Hyerim shrugged, sitting up once her hair has been untangled. “Is it in your tummy, now, Mommy?”

“No, honey,” Jihyun replied, “we’re just asking first.”

“Can it be a dog?”

“…it’s a baby, Hyerim. Mommy and Daddy are people so the baby would be too.”

“I don’t mind!” She said cheerily, “sounds like fun.”

“Well, that settles that, then,” Jaehyun mumbled, earning a laugh from his wife.

“Alright, Missy, it’s been twenty minutes, it’s time for bed,” Jihyun patted Hyerim’s bottom. Hyerim allowed herself to be dragged out of her room, sighing sadly as she waved at her father upside from Jihyun’s arms while Jaehyun laughed.

He picked up toys and placed them in their place before moving towards the bedroom, taking a shower while Hyerim and Jihyun sat in the bath about two feet away.

“Do you want to sleep in Mommy and Daddy’s bed tonight, baby?” Jihyun asked, rinsing Hyerim’s hair of shampoo while the other played with her toy.

“Yes! Your bed is so big and comfy, I wanna!” Hyerim started to get out of the bathtub almost immediately afterward, startling Jihyun as she struggled to keep her in the tub. “Mommy, can we watch a movie before?”

“I suppose—“

“Okay, let’s go!”

“Ah—! Hyerim, you still have conditioner in your hair!”

Soon, the trio was connected in the bed, the tv in front of them playing some random movie as Hyerim watched. As Jihyun expected, she barely got through fifteen minutes of the movie, their child fast asleep with her stuffed bear held tightly.

“That was fast,” Jaehyun joked, brushing her hair away from her face.

“She loves to sleep, she just hates waking up from it,” Jihyun sighed. “What did Johnny Oppa call you for earlier, really?”

“It was nothing. I just had to call Irene, and I did. I doubt what she wants is serious enough to warrant an in-person appointment, so I told her to mail it to me since she’s being so _fucking_ —“ Jaehyun paused and glanced at Hyerim, “so cryptic about it.”

“What if you’re wrong and it is actually serious?”

“I guess I’ll find out when the mail comes,” Jaehyun reassured. He pulled Jihyun in for a kiss, “don’t worry, I have everything under control.”

The next day was Monday and the family was in a busy bustle trying to get ready for their respective jobs while taking turns passing Hyerim around to get her dressed, fed, and ready for school.

Mrs. Chu, their housekeeper turned nanny, arrived at her usual time and was surprised to see that the family was still asleep, timidly waking them up and reminding them that it was Monday, sending the family into a fury.

Jaehyun burned his tongue on oatmeal while Jihyun tied and re-tied Hyerim’s school scarf.

“Okay, move, let’s go,” Jihyun said, pushing Hyerim out of the door before giving her husband a chaste kiss. “I’ll see you later.”

Jaehyun kissed his wife and his daughter quickly before they left, Jaehyun continuing to slurp his hot breakfast and button up his dress shirt. Mrs. Chu came in quickly, mentioning that there was someone at the door for him.

“Tell them to come later,” Jaehyun said quickly, “I’m going to be late—“

“Sir, she said her name was Irene—“

“Even better. Tell her I’m not even here,” Jaehyun replied, tying his tie in a swift motion as he grabbed his keys and moved towards the garage.

“But—!”

Jaehyun waved at the housekeeper before moving towards the garage. He opened it quickly and got into his car. Just as the garage door opened, he saw Irene standing right behind his car, her arms crossed and expensive sunglasses perched on her nose, a scowl on her lips.

Jaehyun rolled his eyes, “I’ll entertain whatever this is later—“

He noticed Jihyun standing outside, confused and shocked with Hyerim still on her hand.

“Daddy, this lady said he’s your brother!’ Hyerim called from the front yard, a smile on her face as Jaehyun turned his head to glare at the taller kid stood next to him.

“What the fuck—?”

“Here’s your priority mail,” she spat. Irene faced the kid next to her, “Jaehyun, Sungchan. Sungchan, this is your brother, Jung Jaehyun.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is called 'hyerim carries this family on her back'   
> anyway merry Christmas friends I hope u all have a good day :D

Jung Sungchan stood at least three extra inches above Jaehyun, challenging Jaehyun’s 6’0 to his 6’3. There was no doubt that he gathered the Jung height gene, but other than that…Jaehyun couldn’t find any more similarities between him and his brothers.

Sungchan was a scrawny boy, much too thin and much too fragile-looking despite his height. His limbs were long and his feet were much too big, which gave him an awkward walk that often had him stumbling over his own feet. In fact, he had stumbled over the front step, watching pathetically as he grabbed the coat hanger to save himself from the marble tile Jaehyun had built.

Not exactly childproof, nor idiot-proof either.

He was also much too quiet. Of course, he and his brothers were only outgoing because of their circumstances and being thrown into social situations to survive, but Sungchan seemed too quiet, almost calculated over his usage of his words, as if he was trying not to overstep any boundaries that Jaehyun might’ve placed. He was right to do so, Jaehyun had been sizing him up since he arrived.

His facial features were also unique. His eyes were large and considerably brown, almost a hazel color full of innocence and ignorance, wide open as he stared around the large, luxurious home. His face also had a considerable amount of baby fat left, perhaps the _only_ fat on his body, as if to showcase that he was still, in fact, just a child.

Whoever he was, Jaehyun was not going to be convinced that this stumbling child was his brother. It was almost insulting.

Jihyun decided to take the day off before sending Hyerim to school, intrigued by the new face that claimed Jung ancestry. Even Jihyun noticed that there was barely any resemblance, but she also knew that Jaehyun and his brothers didn’t exactly look alike either. Instead of voicing her doubts, she served Sungchan a cup of tea and welcomed him to sit down on the nearest armchair, a gentle smile on her face as Sungchan immediately bowed as a thank you. Jaehyun watched the boy take the cup into his hands, the tremor so great that the tea began to tip over the edge and burn at his fingertips. He could tell he was trying to hold in the pain.

“Do you want some tea, my love?” She asked her husband. Jaehyun shook his head with a smile, kissing her knuckle.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“I’ll take a cup,” Irene mentioned.

Jihyun simply ignored her before giving Jaehyun a kiss.

“ _Get that white-collar tramp out of my house,”_ she seethed in English. The only other language Irene did not speak. Jaehyun kissed her sweetly before whispering in her ear that she would not be here long.

Jihyun left the living room to go upstairs. Jaehyun waited for the door to close before he gave a deep sigh, watching Irene roll her eyes and fix her makeup in her compact.

“She’s still not fond of me,” she observed.

“That tends to happen when you try and sleep with someone’s husband.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“That was a _month_ ago, Irene,” Jaehyun sighed heavily. He glanced over at Sungchan, who was looking in his cup awkwardly.

“Well, are you going to introduce yourself?”

“Me?”

Jaehyun blinked in disbelief, “who else?”

Sungchan cleared his throat and placed his cup on the coffee table, wincing when it made an unpleasant clatter before he wiped his hands on his jeans. Sweat, Jaehyun presumed.

“My name is Jung Sungchan—“

“I know that bit.”

“ _Please,_ let me finish,” Sungchan replied, his ears a deep red but his voice still firm. Jaehyun snorted before looking at Irene, who only rolled her eyes again.

“My name is Jung Sungchan. I’m not from here, I’m from Incheon, originally, where I lived with my Mother. She was a nurse and we lived fine up until she got sick and she passed a few months ago.” Sungchan took a deep breath before continuing. He reached into his backpack and retrieved a small notebook, it looked minuscule in such massive hands, but he flipped to a certain page. “She…she gave me this book when she died. She said it had my family in it, my father. My real father. I came here to find him.”

“That’s when I found him,” Irene interjected. “I found him at your father’s old office. I asked him what he wanted and that’s when he told me he was looking for Jung Jungmo. I told him I could do him one better.”

Jaehyun raised an eyebrow, “you’re looking for my father?”

The flush on Sungchan’s ears traveled well into his face, “yes. I am.”

“I never wanted to bother you or your family!” Sungchan quickly admitted. “When Irene noona told me that she could take me to someone who had more information, I never would’ve imagined it would’ve been you…my brother.”

“Allegedly,” Jaehyun added. “I’m sorry for your mother’s loss but I can’t go around believing every estranged sibling—“

Irene threw a packet of paperwork onto his lap, her arms crossed, “he is. I ordered the test myself.”

Jaehyun’s eyebrows furrowed together as he read and re-read the information presented. Lo and behold, Jung Sungchan was the brother of Jung Jaehyun and the son of Jung Jungmo by 99.9%. Jaehyun tried to do the math. Where _was_ his father when he was ten? He supposed he had left him for a while, but two months? Two months to forge a relationship with—?

Suddenly, it didn’t seem so illogical. What with Jisung a revenge baby and not being his biological brother at all. Jaehyun kept his emotions restrained and exhaled, his lips in a tight line.

“You traveled all this way for nothing,” Jaehyun said somberly. “My father is dead. He has been for years now.”

Despite his suspicions, he didn’t want to disappoint a kid. Sungchan looked devastated, his only chance to meet his father and he died ten years after his birth. Jaehyun watched the devastation turn on his face, first his eyebrows furrowing before a frown, his face relaxing.

Sungchan stood up swiftly, perhaps smoother than he has since he’s been here, and bowed deeply.

“I am deeply sorry that I came here and wasted your time,” Sungchan said. His voice cracked, Jaehyun was almost sure that he saw a tear fall. “I’ll be on my way. Thank you.”

Jaehyun grimaced and watched as Irene followed after the boy, giving Jaehyun a sly smirk. He tried to ignore the heat of his blood racing through his veins, but he quickly cooled down once she left.

He stared at the paternity test in his hands and threw them on the coffee table, scratching the back of his neck harshly.

There were a lot of things that were different about Sungchan, his height and mannerisms aside. If there was one thing the Jung family was known for, it was the ability to hide disappointment, and Sungchan had done so almost flawlessly.

Jaehyun was in a funk for the rest of the day. He didn’t go upstairs to see Jihyun after their company had left. It wasn’t until she came down for a glass of water that she noticed that Irene and Sungchan had left, leaving her husband alone in the living room, his eyes closed and resting against the back of the couch.

She climbed over the couch and kissed his cheek, watching his eyes slowly flutter open before he gave a smile.

“Is everything okay?”

Jaehyun nodded, “it is now.”

Jihyun didn’t seem convinced by his answer, but in retrospect, she never was. Instead, she decided to accept it and hold his hand until he was ready to talk about it again.

But he didn’t. Not immediately, at least.

Hyerim had even noticed something was strange about her father. He was quieter than usual, and despite her young age, she knew when her father was upset judging by whether or not he would eat dinner. He made the excuse that he wasn’t hungry and left to go to some work in his office, leaving the two in the dining room by themselves as they ate quietly.

The silence, however, seemed too thick, even for Jihyun, as she turned on the television in the living room for some background noise.

Mrs. Chu washed the dishes after dinner and Hyerim decided to stay and keep her company. Her mother was also acting strange due in part to her worrying about her husband. Hyerim decided she didn’t want to be a part of that and instead took up her usual spot on the kitchen island, packing side dishes in containers and listening to their air-lock click before stacking them.

“Mrs. Chu?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Can I have some rice?”

“Rice? What for?”

“For Daddy,” Hyerim explained. “You always said it’s bad to skip meals and you’re not strong if you skip a meal. I don’t want Daddy to get sick.”

Mrs. Chu gave a tired smile and nodded, grabbing a plastic bowl and filling it with leftover rice from dinner. “Here, give your daddy some meat too. He hasn’t eaten.”

Hyerim nodded and hopped off the island, juggling two containers and a pair of chopsticks in her hands as she sneaked by Jihyun, who was sat watching TV.

She passed the main corridor and turned right towards a smaller one made from glass. Hyerim stopped to admire the snow that began to fall before remembering her task, walking towards the large oak door before placing her items on the floor for only a moment.

Jihyun always told Hyerim to never barge into doors, especially her father’s office. Being the obedient child she always was, she knocked on the door and waited for a response.

_“Come in.”_

Hyerim quickly picked up her containers and opened the door after much fighting, pushing her way through.

Jaehyun looked up and raised an eyebrow when he found the door empty until he looked further down to see Hyerim carrying along Tupperware containing food. He cracked a smile for the first time since this afternoon, picking her up before seating her on his lap.

“What’s this?” Jaehyun beamed, kissing her forehead. “I thought you were mommy.”

“No, it’s me,” she explained, placing her food ware on his desk. “Mrs. Chu said that if you skip meals you’ll get sick, and Daddy, you’re really whiny when you’re sick.”

Jaehyun threw his head back in a laugh, earning a giggle from Hyerim before he squashed her face with kisses, “you’re right. I am a little annoying. Thank you, sweetheart.”

“Are you sad, Daddy?”

“Of course not, what gave you that idea?”

Hyerim shrugged, “I dunno. Sometimes you don’t eat dinner when you’re sad.”

“I’m not sad, baby. Daddy just thinks a lot,” Jaehyun sighed and began to eat. “Daddy forgets he’s human sometimes.”

“That’s silly, how can you forget something obvious?”

Jaehyun tilted his head in surprise before pulling her cheek, “how do you know that word?”

“It’s in Mrs. Chu’s drama.”

Jaehyun snorted, “I think Mrs. Chu needs to stop watching so much TV.”

“So you’re not sad?”

“No,” he reassured. “I’m going to teach you a new word. Are you ready?”

Hyerim nodded.

“Sometimes, as humans, we get stressed,” Jaehyun quietly explained. “Stress is when…hm…it’s when you want to go to a party and Mommy is taking too long to get ready. We get nervous that we’re going to be late, that there won’t be any seats left, stuff like that.”

“In my case, I have a lot of work from time to time. I’ll have a _huge_ mountain of paperwork on my desk and my head will hurt and sometimes I’ll start feeling sick. But, once it’s done, I’m not stressed anymore.”

“Can you take medicine for stress?”

“Some people do,” Jaehyun sighed. “I used to, but it makes it worse sometimes. If I’m feeling too stressed, I’ll take a nap or I’ll play with you or Mommy. It just depends. Sometimes, I won’t even talk at all. That doesn’t mean I’m sad or that I’m mad, I just need to charge again.”

Hyerim pouted and rested her head against his shoulder, “it’s still scary.”

“Scary? Why?”

“ _Because!_ I’m just waiting for you to be normal,” she admitted.

Jaehyun placed his food back on his desk before sitting Hyerim up in front of him, “everyone has bad days, Hyerim. I have them, Mommy has them, you have them, just because I’m a little tired doesn’t mean I’m not me, baby. Like I said, sometimes, I just need to charge.”

“Like right now,” Jaehyun smiled and tucked hair behind her ears, “you bringing me dinner charged me to 300%.”

Hyerim bit back a smile, her head lifting up, “really?”

“Yes, _really.”_ Jaehyun pressed a kiss to her forehead and hugged her close, “you have no idea how much I appreciated it. Thank you.”

“Do you want more? I can go get some!” Hyerim said eagerly, shuffling out of her father’s lap until he caught her with a laugh.

“No, I’m fine!” He chuckled, “I’m full. I promise.”

“You’ll tell me if you’re hungry, right?”

Jaehyun leaned against his chair and tapped his chin, “hm, come to think of it, I am kind of hungry.”

Hyerim watched her father curl his hands into claws, a mischievous smile on his face, “for _babies!”_

Hyerim was quick to jump out of her father’s lap and sprint out of the room with squeals and giggles as she ran away from Jaehyun’s roars and monster claws. She ran all around the corridors, her laughs filling the house as Jaehyun inched closer and closer.

“ _I’m coming for you!”_

She laughed and she laughed, jumping over the back of the couch and landing in Jihyun’s lap, surprising her mother as Jaehyun crawled over next.

Jihyun laughed along with her daughter. Jaehyun finally caught her and attacked Hyerim with fake chomping sounds and kisses to her face before tickling her until she was breathless.

“Move, Monster man,” Jihyun pushed Jaehyun away with her foot, holding Hyerim close. “Leave my Princess baby alone!”

Jaehyun continued his fake roars and growls until Hyerim placed a sleeping spell on him, the man falling on top of his wife and daughter and snoring heavily on command.

“ _Ugh—!_ Jaehyun! You’re too heavy!”

“Daddy, you’re squishing me!”

“I’m asleep,” he said, before snoring again.

“Well, wake up!” Hyerim grunted, placing a ‘wake up’ spell on his next.

Jaehyun followed by theatrics and woke up, his smile wide and opening his arms for Hyerim to jump into.

“I love you so much,” he kissed her hair.

“I love you more,” Hyerim smiled.

Jaehyun chuckled and extended an arm for her to join the embrace, his wife doing so immediately as she rested against his chest and sighed happily.

“I love you too, by the way,” Jaehyun reminded, watching Jihyun look up at him with a smirk.

“Duh,” she laughed, pulling her husband in for a kiss.

“ _Ew!_ No _kissing!”_

The night carried along with a lighter atmosphere, not entirely gone but at least Jaehyun felt like he could sleep easier.

It was his turn to give Hyerim a bath that night and he did so, answering her questions while combing conditioner through her hair. When bath time was finished, Hyerim made her way to her spot on their bed, nestling right in the middle as Jihyun and Jaehyun took their spots beside her.

Like yesterday too, they put on a movie and watched as she instantly fell asleep.

With the TV turned off and the family laying in the dark, Jaehyun felt Jihyun crawl over Hyerim carefully to cuddle on top of her husband, Jaehyun welcoming her by tightening his arms around her waist.

“Hi,” she smiled, kissing him softly.

“Hi,” he replied, matching her expression. “you okay?”

“You’re not allowed to ask me that question unless I can too,” Jihyun said sternly. Jaehyun snorted and squeezed her shoulder in return.

“I _am_ fine, at least now I am.”

“Is it about Sungchan?”

Jaehyun frowned, “yeah.”

“I guess I feel guilty. The kid came all the way over here to ask about his— _my_ dad, only for me to tell him that he’s dead,” Jaehyun bit his lip. “And I wasn’t exactly nice about it either.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why weren’t you nice about it?” Jihyun asked simply, “if someone came to ask about their dad, you should be nice about telling them they’re dead.”

“I guess I was being suspicious, even when Irene showed me the paperwork. I didn’t feel bad until he apologized for wasting time, then _I_ felt like the asshole.”

“You could apologize.”

“He’s probably halfway back to Incheon by now, if not, he’s already there.”

Talking about the situation did make Jaehyun feel slightly better, but it did remind him of the guilt he felt earlier, which led to a lot of backtracking. Jihyun noticed this and sat on his lap, holding his hands before pressing kisses into his knuckles.

“It fucking sucks, but you also can’t feel guilty for being overprotective, baby,” Jihyun explained. “As you told me earlier, you can’t go around believing every guy that has your last name is your brother. It’s not logical and, not to mention, safe.”

Jaehyun blew a raspberry, “when did you become so wise?”

“Ever since I pushed a seven-pound baby out of my vagina,” Jihyun smirked. Jaehyun laughed quietly, before she kissed him again, “you learn a thing or two afterwards.”

“I bet,”Jaehyun hummed. “Get to sleep, you have to go to work tomorrow.”

“Wake me up if you feel bad again,” Jihyun replied.

“I won’t, but thanks anyway,” Jaehyun smiled.

He could see Jihyun’s scowl even in the dark as she carefully climbed over Hyerim once again and brought the comforter back up to her chin.

Jaehyun stayed up a while longer, waiting until his eyes were completely heavy until he fell asleep. Even when he did finally sleep, he was woken up an hour later to Hyerim’s sniffling and cries, which took another hour to wake her up from and soothe her.

When Jaehyun woke up again, it was to an empty bed and snow on his window, groaning at the cold before sitting up dazed in his bedsheets. He could hear life downstairs but he watched the snow make violent swirls in the air instead until he was ready to get up and step inside his warm slippers.

Mrs. Chu was the only one left in the kitchen, giving Jaehyun a smile as she prepared his breakfast.

“Did Jihyun leave already?”

“She did, she told me to tell you that she said goodbye and that you said goodbye in your sleep.”

Jaehyun snorted, “yeah. Sounds about right.”

He ate his breakfast quietly and made idle chitchat with the housekeeper. He watched the drama that was on TV, the one that was most likely teaching Hyerim words that were far beyond her reach and perhaps too adult-like. He couldn’t blame either party for watching, however, as by the time he finished his breakfast he sat on the couch’s armrest and watched the episode in full before going upstairs to get ready for work.

After pulling on his suit jacket he went back downstairs to tell Mrs. Chu about certain chores he wanted done by the time he got home. She asked him if there was anything, in particular, he wanted for dinner and he said no, mentioning that he was in the mood for take-out today and that he would put it past Jihyun later on.

Mrs. Chu nodded and bid him farewell.

On a Tuesday morning like this one, work consisted of going to his office in Gangnam, the only office where he was known as Jung Yuno and not Jaehyun in an attempt to keep both parts of his life separate. He decided that once they got rid of whatever illegal workings they had left, he would change his name completely, but until then, his driver’s license still said Jaehyun and still bound him to his underground work.

Legal work, on the other hand, consisted of a lot of things. He was chairman of a charity organization started by his father before his death, appropriately named the Park Foundation after his youngest brother, Jisung. The charity organization focused on strengthening infrastructure across poorer cities.

His other business consisted of being CEO of a food distribution source based in Seoul that sold Korean and other East Asian foods to North America. His oldest partner, Moon Taeil, also worked the double title of an underground and legitimate worker, helping Mark and Yuta with drug smuggling while being the poster boy for childhood hunger.

In his office, everyone except his assistant, Dong Sicheng, knew him as Jung Yuno and nothing else, which made separation easy.

Jaehyun arrived at the large glass door and handed his keys to the valet with a smile, seeing Sicheng waiting at the door with him, his face tight, much like it always was.

“Digestive troubles?” Jaehyun joked, slapping Sicheng on the back.

“Do you have _any_ idea how angry your appointments were yesterday when you didn’t show up to work?”

“My secretary tells them that I’m subject to cancel due to a busy schedule,” Jaehyun explained nonchalantly, looking up at the elevator numbers. “You won’t believe the morning I had yesterday, Sicheng.”

“Save it,” he huffed. “The last thing I need to hear is another sex-scapade.”

Jaehyun couldn’t help but laugh despite being miserably wrong.

Legitimate work was far more boring and stressful than anything he did for his other business. It was dreadfully bureaucratic, the only color coming from his office window, but even then, most of the Christmas decorations placed were now draped in snow.

He was distracted for a moment, thinking about excited Hyerim must’ve been to see more than four inches of snow on the ground. Jaehyun smiled to himself when he imagined her begging to play in the snow before school, even if it was for a few minutes. Knowing Jihyun, they would’ve built the tiniest snowman in the most discreet of places, waiting for Jaehyun to find it and send a picture.

He made a mental note to look for it when he got home.

Jaehyun is brought out of his reverie when he heard a knock on his door, Sicheng popping his head in.

“Your 2 o’clock is here.”

Jaehyun sighed, “bring them in.”

\\\

“I need two Swiss cheddar omelets and two servings of blueberry French toast,” Jihyun called out, staring down at the order in front of her. A choir of _yes chef!_ soon followed as she went back to calling out and checking orders.

Jihyun’s small restaurant started as a café almost four years ago. After being rated by a famous influencer as their favorite brunch eatery, Jihyun was bombarded with customers, as there was almost always a line at the door, no matter the weather.

“Two omelets no cheese with tomato, please,” Jihyun called out.

“Chef, table three has questions about the menu,” a waitress said, looking apprehensive. “I tried to answer as much as I could, but they’re very particular.”

Jihyun sighed and called Taeyong over to fill her spot, “alright. I’m coming.”

Jihyun plastered her best customer service smile before making her way to the table, except it was quickly wiped off when she saw a pair of familiar eyes staring back at her in surprise.

Sungchan burned red and hid his face in his menu while his friends around him asked annoyingly specific questions about the menu. Jihyun answered them all flawlessly and quickly, her eyes always wandering back to Sungchan.

“Hey, Sungchan, didn’t you have a question about the omelet?” One of his friends poked.

Sungchan shook his head, “no. It was answered already.”

Jihyun smiled and took her leave then, laughing to herself quietly before going back to her station. Taeyong noticed her smile before he raised an eyebrow.

“What? Did they give you trouble?”

“Nah, I just recognized one. That’s all.”

“Did he ask for a free meal?”

“No, he pretended not to know me at all,” Jihyun laughed. “I don’t know which is more offensive.”

Jihyun watched a sloppy dish come out instantly, a frown intensified before sliding it back, “what is _this?_ Is this what we’re serving now?”

“Sorry Chef! I’ll fix it right now!”

“Quickly,” Jihyun warned. She turned to face Taeyong who only chuckled, “please get back in there. They’ll fall apart without one of us.”

“On it.”

Brunch continued to drawl on without any news until table three finally up and left. The waitress came back again, mentioning that table three was irate about the service before demanding the owner to come out. Jihyun rolled her eyes and followed her back out.

Sungchan was hidden behind to no avail, towering at least two heads above his friends as he held his head in his hands, clearly embarrassed.

“—and then it didn’t even look like the menu!” One complained.

“Sunbae, let me fix this,” Sungchan said suddenly. “Follow the rest of them, they said they needed help.”

_Sunbae?_ Jihyun said in her head. She looked to the very corner of their shirts, finding SNU stitched on the side.

Sungchan never left Seoul, he _lived_ here.

“We are never coming back!” The upperclassman yelled, gathering the attention of other patrons of the cafe, who only laughed at him. “My father will hear about this!”

“ _Please,_ “ Sungchan begged, pushing him outside as he finally left.

Sungchan looked back to Jihyun, whose eyebrows were raised in amusement.

“It’s not every day someone comes and pretends I don’t know who I am after I served them tea,” Jihyun joked, enjoying the flush on Sungchan’s face. “And have the nerve to have their friends yell at me.”

Sungchan bowed, “I am _so_ sorry. He’s insufferable. We all think so.”

“You’re not close are you?”

Sungchan shook his head, “no. We only put up with him because he gives us the homework answers sometimes.”

Jihyun laughed, “homework? When were you planning on telling us that you went to SNU?”

“Never, really,” Sungchan smiled. “I didn’t really expect to see you again, but I guess I should’ve known when they mentioned your restaurant and when I thought the Chef's name was familiar.”

“You’ll learn that Seoul is smaller than you think,” Jihyun smiled. “Was the food good at least? Your friend aside?”

“I couldn’t really afford anything on the menu,” he admitted sheepishly. “I had bites though, it was delicious otherwise.”

Jihyun frowned, “you didn’t eat? Do you want something?”

“It’s fine, I promise! I have food back at home, it doesn’t matter—“

“It’s nothing to pack you something real quick.”

Sungchan put his hands in front of him and shook them violently, “please _don’t,_ I’m on my way home now anyway, I promise it’s okay.” 

Jihyun grimaced, “well, if you’re ever in the mood for brunch or lunch, come over and I’ll feed you.”

“You don’t really have to do that—“

“I know, but you aren’t the only college kid I’m feeding,” Jihyun smiled. She looked past Sungchan to see a few of his ‘friends’ looking at the door, waiting for him. “You should go, they look like they have questions.”

Sungchan looked behind him quickly and sighed, “I’m really sorry again. I won’t bring them here.”

“If you think that’s the first time a customer has yelled at me you’re sorely mistaken,” Jihyun waved. “Come by again soon, seriously. We should chat.”

Sungchan smiled and nodded, waving back before going back to the door.

He met one of his upperclassman outside, a kinder one who was always much too curious for her own good, “she seemed nice.”

“She is very nice,” Sungchan admitted. “She was very understanding despite Hyungwon sunbae being an oaf.”

“He is an oaf, isn’t he?” She giggled, Sungchan chuckling next to her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi if ur reading this :] i hope u r all doing well and u had a good holiday  
> anywho i call this: hyerim still carries this family on her back

“You won’t _believe_ who I saw at the restaurant today,” Jihyun announced, walking in the kitchen with take-out bags in her hands as Jaehyun helped Hyerim wash her hands at the kitchen sink.

“Who?”

“Sungchan!” She grinned.

Jaehyun raised an eyebrow and set Hyerim down on her feet to focus on taking food out of their bags, “what the fuck was he doing there?”

“ _Daddy!”_ Hyerim scolded from the dining room.

“Shit,” he sighed, holding his hand for Jihyun to pinch. “Well?”

“He was there with his classmates,” she explained. “Get this, he goes to Seoul National University.”

Jaehyun sighed heavily, “yeah? Maybe I’ll have Jisung start hanging out with him and maybe he’ll get some fucking ideas.”

“Daddy! Again!” Hyerim crossed her arms. “Stop saying so many bad words!”

“I’m _sorry,_ baby,” Jaehyun held out his hand for Hyerim to pinch this time. “Do you know what he’s going for?”

Jihyun shook her head, “no, I didn’t get the chance to ask, but I invited him to come back so we can talk. You can come too if you want.”

Jaehyun made a face, “I think I’ll pass. It’ll be awkward.”

“Go where?” Hyerim asked, climbing in her high seat, “can I come?”

“You’ll be at school, Pea,” Jihyun explained. “Also, it’s just boring adult talk with me and Daddy’s brother.”

“Jaeminie?” Hyerim eyes brightened. Jaehyun rolled his eyes.

“No, honey, remember Sungchan? It would be with him.”

“Oh,” Hyerim picked up her chopsticks and began to eat her dumpling. “Daddy, when can we see Jaeminie?”

“Your brothers don’t know anything about Sungchan, do they?” Jihyun prompted, watching her husband eye her suspiciously.

“No. They don’t.” Jaehyun finished chewing before he continued, “before you start, I don’t want anything to do with what you have planned.”

“I don’t have anything planned,” Jihyun assured, but judging by the way Jaehyun looked at her, he wasn’t convinced. “Not right now, at least.”

“Jihyun…”

“I know, _I know,_ I’m not going to do anything, Jaehyun, good grief,” she huffed. “A little faith please.”

“Enough lip,” Jaehyun scolded, placing a piece of beef on her plate, “you’re the only one who hasn’t eaten. Hyerim has already gone through her rice and she’s been eyeing your dumpling since you started talking.”

\\\

Sungchan didn’t return to the restaurant until Friday, looking a bit more relaxed in comparison to Tuesday. Jihyun watched him look around aimlessly until they made eye contact, Sungchan waving shyly.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to come back,” Jihyun smiled. “Hungry?”

“A little,” he admitted. “I was a little busy with assignments this week. It’s a mad dash before Finals week.”

“I completely forgot about those,” Jihyun said. “What do you want to eat? Do you want some coffee?”

“I would love some coffee, thank you.”

“And to eat?”

“Um, the spinach omelet looked pretty good last time,” Sungchan smiled. Jihyun couldn’t help but laugh, nodding anyway before running the order to the kitchen and returning with his coffee.

“Exams aren’t running you down too hard, are they?”

Sungchan shook his head, “exams before summer break were worse, I think. Maybe I just wasn’t focused.”

“How long have you been in Seoul, Sungchan?” Jihyun asked carefully, “Jaehyun told me that you lived in Incheon with your mother but that she’s since passed.”

“Ah, yeah. She passed in July. I guess it’s been more than a few months. I stopped keeping track really.”

A waitress came with Sungchan’s food soon after, his stomach growling aggressively as he looked up through his eyelashes. Jihyun laughed, “go ahead and eat.”

“I’m also sorry about your mother’s passing,” she mentioned. “I can’t imagine what that was like for you.”

“She was really sick, I said my goodbyes before she did,” Sungchan said, almost bluntly. Jihyun grimaced and tried to find something else to talk about.

“What are you majoring in?”

“Medicine,” he replied proudly. “My mom was a nurse. She wanted to be a doctor, but stuff got in the way.”

“Me, I mean,” he laughed, chewing thoroughly. “It’s okay, though. I like medicine, it’s hard, like, _really_ hard, but it’s fun at the same time. It’s like a puzzle.”

It was getting harder to believe he was a Jung, what with the amount of brainpower in Sungchan’s index finger in comparison to her husband and his brother’s combined, and that was coming from a place of love.

“You just started then?”

Sungchan nodded, “I’ve only been in Seoul for this semester. I was taking online classes up until I could move here.”

Sungchan was an open book, Jihyun realized. He was eager to talk about any and everything, something she wasn’t quite used to considering even her parents had their secrets. She blamed it partially on the fact that Sungchan was young, but even then, Jisung never spoke this much to her about anything _ever._

And yet, it was almost endearing. His eagerness, that is. Once the initial awkward barrier was hurdled, Jihyun found herself listening more than speaking. He was young, no doubt, just like she and Jaehyun guessed, turning nineteen just this past September. He played sports a lot as a kid but stopped once he broke his leg after soccer practice, his mother forbidding him to continue playing, but still playing in secret whenever he could.

He also, for the most part, grew up alone. Sungchan was described as a miracle baby by his doctor’s, as his mother struggled to have children both before and after his arrival, and grew up an only child. Having a mother who worked mostly graveyard shifts meant that he often came home to an empty home and an emptier stomach, but was always fed his favorite dishes the day she had an off day.

Despite his circumstance, Sungchan grew up knowing he was loved and cherished, a stark difference in reality for the rest of the Jung brothers.

“Your mother seems like an amazing woman,” Jihyun smiled.

“Yeah,” Sungchan agreed. “She was.”

Jihyun swallowed before preparing her next set of words, “say, kiddo…”

Sungchan looked up from his empty plate.

“I’m planning a dinner this Sunday, if you would like to come,” Jihyun started. “It’ll give you a chance to get to know Jaehyun more, and the others, Jaemin and Jisung.”

Sungchan smiled uncomfortably, “I don’t know. It’s really not my place.”

“It will be, because I invited you,” Jihyun said firmly. “You said you came to Seoul to meet your family, I’m allowing you to do so.”

The kid’s face turned red in embarrassment, “I mean…”

“I’ll go if your husband says it’s okay,” Sungchan compromised. “It’ll be really uncomfortable if I don’t get his okay.”

“Cake,” Jihyun reassured. “Give me your number and we’ll arrange it.”

Sungchan reluctantly gave Jihyun his number, “how can you be so sure he’ll say yes?”

“Are you kidding? I am his wife, he never says no to me.”

\\\

“ _No,_ Jihyun,” Jaehyun said firmly, not even entertaining the idea and continuing to stare at his computer screen.

“But _why?!”_ Jihyun whined, rounding the desk and standing in front of his computer, blocking his work view. “I already told him to come.”

“If I said yes,” he reminded. “Which, I did not.”

“You _haven’t,”_ she challenged. “ _Yet.”_

“I haven’t because I will not. End of discussion.”

Jihyun pouted and moved to sit on his lap, earning an exasperated sigh from the man under her, “please?”

“Jihyun, I told you from the _beginning_ that I wanted no part in whatever nonsense you were planning,” Jaehyun said firmly. “And what did you go and do? Make me prime dipshit in your plan.”

“Jesus Christ, Jaehyun, it’s just _dinner—“_

“It’s not just dinner. It’s you vehemently going against my word despite me telling you over and over again that it’s not happening. And then, when I say no, I’m the asshole. I’m not stupid, you do this all the fucking time.”

Jihyun slid off his lap, “fine. You’re right, I do whatever I want anyway.”

“I’m going to make dinner for your brothers at the restaurant for a _private_ party. You can stay here and starve by yourself, because I’m taking Hyerim with me,” Jihyun stood at the doorway, “ _fucking asshole.”_

Jaehyun rolled his eyes at the door slamming before rubbing his face harshly. He had no plans in giving in, but the headache that threatened was beginning to make him think otherwise.

“No, Jaehyun,” he said to himself, squeezing the back of his head. “Not this time.”

The only thing he could do was sigh and go back to his work, continuing his staring contest with the screen in front of him until the hour was late and Hyerim was walking down the stairs to remind him it was time for bed. Considering Hyerim was the one to remind him about sleeping, it wouldn’t surprise him in the slightest if Jihyun was ignoring him for the day completely—on the other hand, he wasn’t too upset about it. He doubted the situation was that severe that it would warrant the silent treatment, but if there was something Jihyun did effortlessly, it was proving him wrong.

The silent treatment continued throughout Saturday morning, much to his disdain. He was used to the silent treatment at this point, but having Hyerim communicate between the two of him did annoy him and seemed childish to him. When Hyerim came downstairs to his office for the third time to recant her mother’s message, Jaehyun shook his head.

“Hyerim, if Mommy wants to talk to me she can do it herself,” he said firmly, pushing her out the door gently.

“But she said—“

“I know what she said, Honey. Tell her to grow up.”

Surely he would only be feeding the fire with that one, but he didn’t care anymore. After sending Hyerim away for what he hoped was the last time, he received a phone call from Johnny, requesting a meeting. He told him he would be around in a few minutes before he stepped out of his office and out into the main room, where Jihyun was very obviously fuming on the couch, immediately avoiding his gaze.

Jaehyun scoffed and ignored her, stepping over her to kiss Hyerim on the cheek, “I’ll be back later, baby.”

“Okay,” she smiled, nodding her head and paying attention to her coloring again.

He knew that Jihyun was vibrating with curiosity, upset that she couldn’t ask where he was going and when he would be coming back, and if he would be coming back for dinner at all. Of course, he did it on purpose, there was nothing wrong with making her sweat a little.

The meeting with Johnny was informal and was more like a meet-up more than anything. It was a progress checkpoint where they talked about their next steps and what Jaehyun personally should do considering Johnny’s legal advice. Somewhere after that, Johnny had asked about what Irene desperately wanted to speak about, and Jaehyun could feel his blood boil.

“She brought this college kid over to my house on Monday. He told me he was my brother and that he was looking for my father,” Jaehyun shook his head. “Obviously, I told him the truth, but I think Irene wanted to piss me off more than anything considering she could’ve told him the same thing.”

“ _Brother?_ “ Johnny repeated in disbelief, “out of all the bullshit I expected Irene to say that was the _last_ thing I thought she would come up with. I’m surprised.”

“Jihyun is dead-set on connecting us, for whatever reason. I told her no and now she’s throwing a fit.”

“That explains a lot,” Johnny hummed. “Both the invitation I got _and_ the fact that you almost sped here.”

Jaehyun narrowed his eyes, “what invitation?”

Johnny grinned and opened the e-invite on his computer, turning his screen to show his boss. Sure enough, she had arranged a dinner at the restaurant for tomorrow night like she said she would, and it only made Jaehyun angrier to see that it was sent the same night they argued about it.

“I guess you’re not invited?”

“Who the fuck else did she send that to?”

“Your brothers, me, and Mark,” Johnny laughed. “That’s Jihyun for you.”

“She can do whatever she wants,” Jaehyun grumbled. “I’ll eat pizza by myself anyway.”

“What’s the harm in a little dinner, Jaehyun?” Johnny tried to pry a response despite Jaehyun’s disdain. “If I were this kid I would be the one refusing to go, I’m the outsider.”

“Why should I? I don’t owe him anything.”

Johnny blinked, “not even a chance to know his brothers?”

Jaehyun crossed his arms, “no. Not even that. He got into SNU without us and he’ll be fine afterward.”

“Holy shit, SNU? Really?”

“Listen, I’m not telling you Jihyun is right, because to _me,”_ Johnny paused to gauge Jaehyun’s reaction before continuing, “it seems that you’re just saying no because you’re being stubborn.”

“ _I’m_ the stubborn _one?!”_ Jaehyun’s voice raised as his eyebrows shot up. Johnny shook his head.

“Let me _finish!_ This kid, the way you described him, he sounds…lonely. He didn’t want to bother you and got entrapped in Irene’s petty game just to piss you off. Looks to me like she got what she wanted.”

“It’s dinner, Jae. Christ, you don’t have to adopt him tomorrow night. Just welcome him.”

Jaehyun sighed heavily and looked at the time on his watch. It was well past dinner time now, he wanted Jihyun to sweat, not tear out her hair, “I’ve got to go.”

“Think about what I said.”

“I won’t,” he will. Johnny knew that he would as well, but he only waved him goodbye.

The entire car ride Jaehyun thought about whether or not he was being the illogical one. He hadn’t reached an answer by the time he got home and instead put the thought to the side as stepped inside his warm home.

The lights in the house were all turned off except the one lamp in the living room, his heart sinking upon seeing Jihyun and Hyerim asleep on the couch. The more he thought about it, the more he realized maybe he was the one in the wrong. He brushed the hair from Jihyun’s face and kissed her cheek, watching her stir before picking Hyerim up in his arms.

“Did you eat?” Jihyun asked sleepily, too tired to remember she was supposed to be giving him the silent treatment.

Jaehyun hummed out response, “yeah. Go to bed, I’ll be upstairs in a minute.”

Jihyun opened her arms for Jaehyun to pass her the baby, Hyerim instantly falling in her mother’s arms next. Jihyun walked upstairs to their bedroom and heard the door click close while Jaehyun thought about how relieved he was it wasn’t a slam. He took a deep breath and rested against the couch and thought there, for a minute, about what he should do, not exclusively about Sungchan, but rather about Irene, who was overstepping more than she usually did.

For the time being, there wasn’t anything he could do yet that wouldn’t jeopardize everything he had worked for so far. Despite having power over her, she still had the upper hand with the law, and Jaehyun didn’t want to do anything that might put him and his family in an unfavorable light.

“You okay?” A soft voice asked beside him, startling him out of his train of thought. Jihyun pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her fingers as she sat next to him timidly. Jaehyun smiled and reached out to run his fingers through her hair.

“Depends. Are you talking to me now?”

Jihyun smiled and responded to his question by allowing him to pull her into an embrace.

“I’m not okay, I think,” he sighed. “Irene is hell-bent on ruining my life and I’m trying to figure out why.”

Jihyun sighed, “do you want me to kill her? I can.”

Jaehyun laughed, “no. I can do that myself.”

“Why do you think she’s ruining your life? That’s all she does, anyway, what makes now so different?”

“She’s been calling me incessantly about things of great importance that aren’t important at all,” Jaehyun frowned. “ I didn’t believe her about Sungchan is because I’m so used to her playing the kid who cried wolf. I also think she’s using Sungchan as an excuse to keep talking to me about him.”

“Did she call you today?”

“Twice,” he replied. “I didn’t answer, but she called four times yesterday too.”

“Is that why you don’t want him to come over?” She asked quietly, playing with the hem of her sweater. “In retrospect, maybe I was being a little forward with the whole thing, I just felt bad for him because he looks so…”

“Frail?” Jaehyun finished with a smile.

“ _Yes.”_ Jihyun sat up animatedly when she remembered something, “yesterday, I offered him a ride home after he came to the restaurant. He was almost ashamed when I asked him. Obviously, I ended up taking him home anyway and—“

“Obviously?” Jaehyun poked, laughing whenever Jihyun swatted his hand.

“ _And,”_ she continued, “he lives in the apartments Mark used to live in when he first got here.”

Jaehyun winced, “they’re still _open?_ I would’ve thought that the city shut them down by now.”

“They haven’t, and, in case you’re wondering, they’re worse,” Jihyun frowned. “I fucked up and asked him if this was really where he lived…and he looked a little sad to tell me yes. I managed to save it by telling him that Mark lived there a while back, and Sungchan only asked me to ask him how to get rid of rats.”

Jaehyun grimaced, “Mark used to set them on fire.”

Jihyun blinked, “are you serious?”

Jihyun realized she was getting distracted and quickly shook her head, “anyway, I just want to invite him for dinner and to let him know that he has people around that he can ask for help if he should ever need it. What with his mom being dead and not having anymore family…and _God_ forbid he should go and ask for Irene for help.”

“He won’t.”

“You don’t know that, and you know all that tramp waits for is a slight opportunity.” Jihyun nestled back into his arms, “I gotta commend her for that, at least.”

The couple was silent for a moment, both of them thinking about what to say next. Jaehyun pressed his lips in a tight line before squeezing her shoulder, “if you want to invite Sungchan over tomorrow, it’s fine. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be, I’m the one who should be apologizing. You weren’t wrong yesterday, I do take advantage of you saying yes all the time. It was inconsiderate of me to invite him without asking. So, I’m sorry too.”

Jihyun paused for a moment, “I feel like this is our fifth argument this week.”

Jaehyun laughed, “that’s what happens when you’re equally as stubborn as your partner.”

“Equally?” Jihyun challenged.

Jaehyun kissed her nose, “ _yes._ Equally.”

“I don’t like arguing,” she admitted, wrapping her arms around his neck. “But you’re so good at pissing me off.”

“I know, it’s a skill. A specialty, if you will.”

Jaehyun welcomed her on his lap as they connected for a short kiss, his fingertips drumming against her hips. Jaehyun pulled away momentarily to kiss her neck and pull her closer, his fingers replacing her own on the hem of her sweater, “are we okay?”

Jihyun smiled and nodded, “we’re okay. I love you.”

“I love you,” he sighed, kissing her again as his hands dove under her sweater completely, feeling her shudder upon his fingertips tracing patterns against her stomach. Jihyun couldn’t help but laugh into their kiss, pulling her husband so that she hovered on top of him instead.

“If you wanted to, just say so.”

“So,” he grinned, moving his kisses from her lips to her cheekbones, her jaw, and lastly her jugular. “I feel like a starved man.”

“We haven’t spoken in twenty-four hours and you’re already complaining?”

“Do you want to go for another twenty-four?”

“No,” Jihyun quickly replied, fastening her legs around his waist. “Twenty-four was more than enough.”

“We probably shouldn’t have sex on the couch if we’re going to have company tomorrow,” despite his reasonings, Jaehyun continued to remove her sweater anyway and placed it on the floor. He pressed kisses to her chest and stomach as he inched closer to the band of her sweatpants, making motions to pull them off.

“Probably not,” she hummed, lifting her hips eagerly as her husband peeled off her sweatpants to join them together on the floor. “It’s not like they’ll know.”

Jihyun let out a soft breath when she felt two digits at her center, Jaehyun running his index and middle finger over her clit ever so gently as his lips moved back to her neck.

“You think?” He teased, “you always make such a mess.”

Jihyun flushed and reached for his wrist, “fuck off.”

“What?” Jaehyun pouted, his fingers moving from her clit to run circles over her hole, just barely dipping the tip of his finger inside. “It’s not my fault you can’t keep my cum inside your pussy, baby.”

Jihyun whined in embarrassment, pushing his hand away, “if you’re going to fuck me do it already.”

Jaehyun laughed. He let Jihyun take off his shirt and pants next, aggravated that he still had underwear on as she groped his length through the thin fabric. Jihyun smiled and turned to sit on his chest instead, leaning over with her back facing him before she leaned in to release his length from its confines, happily taking it into her mouth and listening to Jaehyun groan proudly.

Eagerly, Jaehyun returned the favor by licking a stripe over her expectant folds, a bruising grip on her thighs as he delved in between them. Taking her clit in between his lips, he moaned when he felt his length pass down her throat and tighten around it dangerously, his grip only tightens.

Afraid that he would meet his release first, he moved one of his hands from her thigh and returned them inside of her, curling his fingers until he found that familiar spot inside of her.

Jaehyun’s cock slipped out of her mouth as she let out a moan much too loud considering their child wasn’t known as a light sleeper. Jihyun quickly slapped a hand over her mouth and felt herself shake terribly above him, her stomach tightening and her thighs trembling. Her face was only getting hotter as she felt the tight ball inside of her expand, Jaehyun quickening his hand and giving her clit one more harsh suck before she grabbed the nearest pillow to muffle her cry.

“Fuck— _fuck!”_ She gasped. Her moans continued to fall from her lips, Jaehyun’s name and profanities slurred together while Jaehyun lapped at her wet pussy, squirting promptly on his face. He would’ve continued had it not been for the hand pushing at his head, Jihyun desperately trying to catch her breath.

“Nice,” Jaehyun grinned, wiping his face with his shirt.

Jihyun rolled her eyes and kicked him, “pig.”

Jaehyun laughed and pulled her on top of his lap again. He kissed her again while Jihyun stroked his length behind her, sitting barely against the tip of his cock. His hands made way to her breasts, his thumb running against her nipple, kissing them and watching her sink her hips until she bottomed out completely. Jaehyun parted his lips, his breathing shallowed.

Jihyun rested her hands against his shoulders as she moved her hips against his, her bottom lip in between her teeth and watching her husband’s smug smirk melt off.

“You like that, baby?” Jihyun asked, pressing a kiss to his ear. “Is it good, Jaehyun?”

Jaehyun groaned in response, his arms fastening around her waist to meet her with his own thrust. Jihyun was surprised at the harsh thrust, choking out a moan and kissing him almost immediately.

“ _Fuck_ Jihyun,” he growled, pushing her onto her back while she welcomed his lips against her neck, holding him tightly as he increased his thrusts. His hands pressed her legs against her chest, pulling out of her wet pussy only to slam back in, Jihyun barely managing to cover her sob.

“Shh, sweet girl,” Jaehyun cooed, pulling out once more to slam into her again. “You don’t want to wake up the baby, do you?”

It’s a surprise they haven’t, if she were speaking honestly. It’s not like the sound of their thighs slapping against each other was a quiet one. Instead, Jihyun bit her lip hard enough for the metallic taste to fill up her mouth completely. She whined when Jaehyun pulled away for good this time, reaching for him until he chuckled, his hand tapping her ass twice.

“On your knees please, my love.” Jihyun did so immediately, her hips in the air and feeling Jaehyun caress her spine with his strong hands, his lips leaving kisses in their wake. Jihyun’s heart skipped upon feeling his hands stop, his fingers securing around her waist.

“Can you take it like this, Jihyun?” Jaehyun feigned concern as Jihyun clenched around the air once feeling his cock nestled in between her legs. “You won’t cry this time, right baby?”

Jihyun shook her head feverishly, “no.”

Jaehyun swallowed harshly before kissing the small of her back, “good girl.”

Jihyun should’ve known better than to start having sex with her husband in the living room. The first snap of his hips was enough to regret it, Jihyun grasping the first thing in front of her and gripping it tightly.

Jaehyun fucked into her relentlessly, his hands yanking her to meet his thrusts perfectly, sending Jihyun into a sobbing mess despite her promise earlier. He could barely keep it in himself, using this as an opportunity to release his own frustrations on his poor wife, who only took the abuse. Judging by the sounds she made, however, it didn’t seem like she had much of an issue with it. Jihyun was drenched, so wet that Jaehyun’s rhythm was thrown off several times because of his cock slipping out. Jaehyun moaned and felt his cock twitch against her, watching Jihyun press against it before she took it in her own hands.

Jaehyun laughed breathlessly, pressing her on her back again. Jaehyun kissed her tenderly this time, their lips moving against the other sweetly as Jaehyun pressed himself inside again, smiling at Jihyun’s breath hitching and kissing the corner of her mouth. Jihyun held Jaehyun’s face firmly in her own hands, their eyes locked together as he continued his pace, slower this time but angled just so that it rubbed against Jihyun’s g-spot.

The closer she got to her orgasm the harder it was to keep eye contact, her eyes wandering to watch their connected ends as Jaehyun fucked into her steadily, licking her lips and fluttering her eyes closed.

“I love you,” she confessed, her eyes opening again and holding Jaehyun’s face. “I love you so fucking much.”

Jaehyun couldn’t help but chuckle, “gonna cum, baby?”

Jihyun nodded, pulling Jaehyun into her embrace while he bit at her shoulder. It wouldn’t be much longer for him either.

“Love you like this the most,” she breathed, her heart racing when Jaehyun made eye contact with her again. “I love when you look at me like that.”

Jaehyun felt his cock twitch inside her, his breath quickening, “yeah? Look at you how, sweetheart?”

“Like I own you,” she moaned. Jihyun’s breathing stuttered once Jaehyun found an angle that hit her g-spot dead on, her legs fastening around his waist. She was close now, it would be any second. “You’re mine, right, Jaehyun? Right, baby?”

Jaehyun shuddered, the hairs on the back of his neck and arms rising, “fuck, _Jihyun._ All yours, Angel, always, always, _always.”_

Jihyun whimpered at the sloppy thrusts and finally unraveled in her husband’s arms, exposing her neck before letting out a moan that was much too loud for the situation they were in. Jaehyun didn’t seem to care either way, chasing his own orgasm with a few more shallow thrusts, hiding his face in her neck as he pumped her full of his cum. He pushed it well inside her while Jihyun purred at the warmth, squeezing around him while his balls twitched against her.

Jaehyun slumped against Jihyun’s shoulder, catching his breath while listening to her pulse return to normal under him. Jihyun ran her fingers through his sweaty hair and watched as he looked up at her, a smile so bright that Jihyun couldn’t help but kiss it off of him.

The two continued like that for a while, relishing in the other’s hold until Jaehyun pulled away to look at the time. Getting to bed at three a.m. was not in his plans originally, but he didn’t mind, and he was sure Jihyun didn’t either. The last thing Jaehyun wanted to do was pull away from Jihyun’s warmth, but, the glass walls in their living room didn’t do much to block out the fierce December winds, and he was starting to get cold. Jihyun was too, but she only curled in Jaehyun’s hold more once they switched their positions.

“We should probably go to bed,” Jaehyun suggested, “it’s… cold down here.”

“Just a little longer,” Jihyun pouted, “I want to cuddle.”

Jaehyun sighed and kissed her forehead, holding her close, “Hyerim’s last day of school was yesterday, wasn’t it?”

Jihyun nodded, “yeah. Why?”

“Do you think your parents can watch her for a few days?”

“Depends,” she accidentally tightened at the thought around Jaehyun’s soft member, “what are we going to do?”

“Whatever you want.”

Jihyun perked up at the idea, “will you fuck me?”

“That’s what I was alluding to, yeah,” he snorted.

Jihyun grinned, “I’ll call her later when she wakes up.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is it obvious i love sungchan 🥺 he's my baby

The car would be around any minute now and Sungchan was still standing over his closet that he emptied on his bed. He was looking for an outfit that didn’t scream that he was a poor college student, but the nicest shirt he had was his Christmas sweater, and he thought it might’ve been too early to wear it still.

His fingers itched to his wallet, wondering if he could take a cab to the nearest store to buy a white shirt, but a honk outside told him he was out of time. Sungchan spat out a slew of curses while shoving his legs in his pants and throwing on a random hoodie. Already, he was overthinking about his estranged brother’s family, dressed in lavish clothing and preparing exquisite food while Sungchan sat in a corner, forgotten in his ratty clothing.

Slipping on his shoes, he made his way towards the front door of the building, stepping over the homeless person sleeping in the lobby. He pushed the front door open and was bombarded immediately by the cold air, shivering to himself as he looked around to find a foreign car waiting for him.

Sungchan noticed the looks and glances he was receiving from several of his neighbors and bystanders, cursing to himself and praying that his door would be intact when he came back home. However, when Sungchan made eye contact, they immediately avoided eye contact and looked sorry for him, which only made him that much more confused. Regardless, he relaxed in the warm car and watched as the driver drove farther and farther away from his apartment and away from the city skyline.

The Jung household was just as beautiful and jaw-dropping as he remembered a week ago. It was well hidden behind a plain, sturdy black gate, security guards looking inside the car before letting the driver pass. They drove by a single road surrounded by trees full of snow, while Sungchan imagined how much more the house would be hidden during the summer when the trees would hide the home behind an abundance of leaves.

The home itself was just as extravagant as the entrance, tall and full of windows where Sungchan could see a mass of people through. The exterior was black and decorated gently with Christmas lights on the roof, along with a random snowman that found its place on the doorstep, forgotten and close to melting due to the heat coming out every time the front door opened and closed.

Sungchan flinched when the door opened, stepping outside the car and thanking the driver before stepping towards the front steps of the house’s front door. He tried to ignore the line of foreign and luxury cars lined outside, making him self-conscious of his clothing choice even more. He wiped the sweat from his hands and pressed the doorbell, listening to the sound of someone’s feet shuffle towards the door.

Sungchan had been used to seeing Jihyun before and after work when her apron was stained from hours of hard work. Seeing her now, with her hair settled delicately on her shoulders, made his face blush upon realizing how much more beautiful she was. Sungchan couldn’t help but look at the floor and return with an embarrassed smile when she greeted him, dragging the boy through the front door just after he had managed to take off his shoes.

“Hi! Come on, everyone is here already!”

Sungchan swallowed and almost choked on his spit, following Jihyun out of the doorway and into the main room. He was relieved at least to see that there were people dressed up just as casually as him, the only person really dressed up being Jihyun, in her long blue flowing dress. Two characters stood out to him immediately, one blond and the other brunet, sat on the couch as they both stared at Sungchan coldly.

The blond turned his head to the other immediately, the brown-haired one leaning in as the blond whispered something in his ear.

“Don’t be scared,” Jihyun whispered next to him. “They’re not that frightening.”

“I’m Mark,” an impish boy said next to him, his eyes bright and his smile friendly before extending a hand. “Jihyun noona told me that you’re living at the Hamptons?”

“Uh, no, it’s…”

“I know,” Mark grinned. “I lived there. That’s what we used to call it because it was so fucking awful.”

Sungchan finally let out a laugh, a chuckle maybe, but a smile nonetheless.

“If you set the rats on fire they stay away for a few months,” Mark informed him, tapping his forehead almost as if it had been common knowledge. “I read it in a book, it’s called _conditioning_.”

“He read it in a serial killer’s memoir,” another man said, standing at around Sungchan’s height, perhaps even taller. His demeanor definitely told Sungchan that he was the eldest one here, and if it wasn’t that, then it was the dark circles under his eyes and the small wrinkles around them. “I wouldn’t pay attention to what he says, he’s not all there despite his looks.”

Mark narrowed his eyes, “what looks would that be?”

The man only smiled and extended his hand towards Sungchan next, “I’m Johnny. Well, my business card says Youngho, but either one works fine.”

“I’m Sungchan,” he replied to both characters.

“We know,” Mark smirked. “We heard about you. We came once we found out. We were all dying to meet you.”

“Is that so?” Sungchan looked over to the two heads who were watching him from afar, immediately avoiding eye contact.

Johnny followed his gaze and snorted, shaking his head, “don’t worry about them. They’re in their own world most of the time.”

“Who are they?”

“The blond would be your second oldest brother, Jaemin,” Johnny introduced. “The brown-haired one is his boyfriend, Jeno.”

Sungchan blinked, “oh. Boyfriend?”

“You’re not homophobic, are you?” Mark joked, taking a sip from his drink.

Sungchan’s eyes widened and shook his hands out in front of him, “n-no! I was just surprised, that’s all.”

“It _is_ the twenty-first century, Sungchan,” Mark joked. “What? They don’t have gay people in Incheon?”

Sungchan tried to think back, he can’t remember knowing any gay people. His face flushed when he realized he had said his last sentence out loud, a roar of laughter coming from Mark before he threw his arm over his shoulder, which was a little awkward, considering Sungchan was considerably taller than him.

“We’re going to get along, Sungchan,” Mark beamed, pulling him towards the kitchen. “You’re a funny kid.”

“Uh, thank you, I guess.”

The actual man of the house was nowhere to be seen, the one he had been dreading to see the most. Mark dragged Sungchan throughout the house almost as if it were his own and Sungchan hadn’t seen Jaehyun anywhere.

Mark brought Sungchan to the kitchen next, where the blond one, Jaemin, stood next to Jihyun along with another girl with him. Jaemin sent a glare towards the younger boy, passing by him without an introduction or a word, Sungchan’s stomach churning in response. Jihyun happened to notice and sighed while Mark frowned.

“What’s with him? He’s moodier than usual.” Mark grumbled, pulling away from Sungchan’s shoulder, “I’m going to go talk to him.”

“Mark Hyung, it’s fine—“ Sungchan was interrupted by his silence before he left anyway, leaving Sungchan alone in the kitchen with Jihyun and the other girl.

“He’s not moodier, that’s usually how he is, I promise,” the other girl mentioned. She didn’t look much older than Sungchan, but her voice was slightly deeper than expected, leading him to think otherwise. She was smaller than Jihyun, with round eyes and plump pink lips that gave him the impression that she was young.

“Jaemin is territorial, they all are, I guess. But he oversteps his boundaries,” she sighed. “He’s also a great deal shy, so he’s not going to introduce himself to you right away. He probably won’t for another few months, don’t be hurt if his first word to you is _move.”_

Sungchan bit his bottom lip and nodded, watching Jihyun nudge her with her elbow.

“You haven’t introduced yourself either, dummy,” she laughed, watching the other girl light up in realization.

“Oh! Sorry,” she smiled. “I’m Yejin. I’m his girlfriend.”

Sungchan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before looking back, “but I thought…Jeno was his boyfriend?”

“And mine,” Yejin beamed, handing Sungchan a bowl to hold before pushing him out of the kitchen, “there’s still so much you have to learn about Seoul, kiddo.”

He had gathered more names than he could remember by the time dinner rolled around. Despite the food being set on the table and drinks being handed out, there was still no sight of Jaehyun, and Sungchan was beginning to think he wasn’t invited at all. He swallowed a lump in his throat and sat on the couch, his knees pressed together to take as little space as possible despite everyone being in the kitchen. He took a deep breath and looked at his socks on the ground, noticing his pinky toe peeking out from a small hole.

_What_ the _fuck_ was he doing here?

He wanted to go home, not to his garbage apartment, not to his school—he wanted to go _home,_ in Incheon, with his mom in their tiny apartment. He was scared, he was alone and tired, he didn’t want to keep doing this alone.

“You okay?”

Sungchan flinched and wiped his eyes immediately, clearing his throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry.”

Jaehyun sat next to him on the couch and handed him a bottle of water, “it’s overwhelming, isn’t it?”

Sungchan let out his second, genuine laugh before wiping under his eyes, “yeah, a lot.”

“I figured as much,” he sighed. Sungchan looked up to see Jaehyun glaring at someone else, “it doesn’t help that Jaemin is being a brat today of all days.”

“His girlfriend says that just how he is.”

“Because they let him get away with it,” Jaehyun explained, rolling his eyes and putting his attention back towards his brother. “Ideally, I wouldn’t have made you meet everyone in one fell swoop, but Jihyun always looks for an excuse to throw a party. I’m sorry she dragged you into this.”

Sungchan gave a weak smile in return and shook his head, “I don’t mind. I appreciate the effort.”

“I wouldn’t have.” Jaehyun smiled.

The two shared awkward chuckles before Sungchan took a swig of his water. He looked around once more in confusion, noticing someone else was missing.

“Don’t you have a daughter?” Sungchan asked, “where is she?”

“She’s at her grandparent’s house, she enjoys company for a while, but she starts to kick everyone out when it gets close to her bedtime,” Jaehyun chuckled.

“That makes sense. I was sort of hoping she was here so she could talk to me about cartoons or something.”

“To avoid everyone else?”

Sungchan snorted, “yeah. Is that lame?”

“Not really. Jisung does the same thing.”

“Where is he?”

“I dropped him off back at his dorm because he had practice to attend,” Jaehyun leaned against the couch, “he goes to a dance academy not far from where you go to school. He’s determined to be an idol. I was also hoping he would stay to convince him into the pre-med field like you.”

Sungchan looked down at his water bottle, “it’s hard to convince a kid to be a doctor.”

“You clearly haven’t been to a pre-school graduation,” Jaehyun smiled fully, his dimples in full display. “Sungchan, if you don’t want to be here that’s fine. I can drop you off before Jihyun notices.”

Sungchan shook his head, “she went through all of this to make all this happen, the least I could do is stay.”

Jaehyun sighed, “it’s your funeral.”

Sungchan smiled at Jaehyun, who returned it goofily before Jihyun stepped into the living room. She was surprised to see her husband had returned and kissed him quickly, “oh? When did you get home?”

“Just now, there was a lot of traffic, surprisingly.” Jaehyun stood up and placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her towards the dining room before nodding at Sungchan to follow.

“I’ll be back, I’m going to go wash my hands,” he reassured. Sungchan got up from his spot on the couch and walked to the bathroom, reaching for the door handle and being taken back when Jeno came out instead, surprise on his face as well.

“Oh. Sorry.” Jeno said, stepping to the side. “Sungchan, right?”

“Yeah. Hey.”

“Cool, nice to meet you,” Jeno smiled at him before clapping him on the back. “Later.”

“Oh, bye—“

Sungchan watched Jeno leave without a second thought, taking a deep breath before shaking the interaction out of his head and moving back into the bathroom.

Dinner was bountiful for the party of eight people. If Jihyun did this for a regular dinner then he wondered what she did for holidays, for birthdays, and the like. He chewed quietly and eavesdropped on a few conversations, listening to Jaehyun and Johnny’s conversation about their kids before he listened in on Yejin and Mark’s conversations. Almost everyone was in an active conversation except him and Jihyun, who noticed and chuckled.

Jihyun placed a dumpling on his plate and patted his back. Sungchan muttered a small thank you, but it must’ve been too quiet considering she went right back to her conversation with Yejin.

“So, Sungchan, medicine, huh?” Johnny asked. “That’s cool, do you know what you want to go in?”

“I know I want to be a surgeon, for sure, but I don’t have the slightest clue on where,” Sungchan admitted, chewing his food.

“Sometimes I think I should have picked medicine instead of law,” Johnny sighed heavily, “maybe even business. I’m the one who does all the work, Jaehyun just sits at his desk and looks pretty.”

“I wish that’s all it was,” Jaehyun joked, taking a sip from his water to hide his laugh. “I’d rather fuck off and die than do law.”

“And that’s why I’m here,” Johnny rolled his eyes and earned a laugh out of Sungchan.

“Well, at least we’ll have someone new to fill in bullet holes!” Mark said, relieved and patting his stomach.

Sungchan raised an eyebrow and noticed a silence fell on the table, Jaehyun looking away and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You really are fucking dense, aren’t you Mark Hyung?” Jaemin finally said his first words of the night, glaring at Mark in return.

“What? What did I say?”

“Bullet…holes?” Sungchan repeated, confused as he looked around the table for an explanation.

Mark blinked rapidly before continuing quietly, “ _oh…_ I thought…?”

“It’s an inside joke,” Johnny added quickly, reassuring Sungchan with a forced smile. “Remember when I told you Mark isn’t all the way there?”

“Oh. Right.” Sungchan let out a nervous laugh, ignoring the glare both Jaehyun and Johnny sent Mark.

The rest of the dinner went with ease and conversations that Sungchan interjected himself in every so often. Before he knew it, most of the plates were empty on the table, and he found himself helping wash dishes with Yejin while Johnny dried. Still caught up on earlier, Sungchan bit his lip and waited for Johnny to leave before asking Yejin.

She only shook her head and laughed, “Mark says a lot of things. It’s like what Johnny Oppa said, he’s not all there. Trust me.”

Still, Sungchan didn’t feel too good about it.

At the end of the night, Jaehyun called his driver for Sungchan’s ride, now the only one left behind as others had taken their leave. He would be leaving the house with at least three new phone numbers in his phone, each of which being Mark, Johnny, and Jaehyun, received in that order. Yejin was about to give Sungchan her number, but Jaemin pulled her out of the door quickly without giving Sungchan a second glance. Jeno managed to look back and grimace, waving at him before leaving.

“I’ll beat Jaemin up later, don’t worry,” Jihyun soothed, but the last thing he wanted was someone to discipline Jaemin on his regard. “Do you have class tomorrow?”

“No, I do have an exam at 10:30 though,” he replied.

“Oh right! Finals week! Come here,” Jihyun said quickly, dragging Sungchan back into the kitchen where Jaehyun was making himself a cup of tea. He watched curiously as Jihyun dug around in their refrigerator to hand him a few plastic containers of food. “Here take these, our housekeeper always makes so much food that we know what to do with. They’re delicious and they pair good with plain rice, microwaved one, at that.”

Sungchan looked down at the food and wanted to cry for whatever reason but swallowed the lump in his throat instead before smiling at Jihyun, “thank you, Jihyun noona.”

Jihyun’s eyes brightened at the honorific and smiled widely, giving him his first hug and squeezing him tightly.

Jaehyun announced that his car was here not long after, having Sungchan follow him to the front door and watching him pull on his coat and his shoes.

“Thank you for having me,” Sungchan said. “I can’t imagine it was easy to do so, but I had a good time either way.”

“We’ve definitely had worse guests,” Jaehyun joked.

Sungchan laughed, “um, I’ll see you around, I guess. Thanks again.”

“It’s nothing, call me if you need anything. Or Mark, whoever you’re more comfortable with.”

“Of course,” he nodded.

They shared one more goodbye before Sungchan stepped into the cold air, shivering as he did earlier in the day before stepping inside the car. He shoved the side dishes Jihyun gave him inside his backpack before placing it on his lap, hugging it to his chest as the driver made a circle around the lot and back towards the black gate, passing by the rows of trees once more.

Sungchan hadn’t noticed he fell asleep until the driver woke him up shortly after, gently patting him on the shoulder and telling him they had arrived. He thanked him quickly before stepping outside, waving him goodbye. He walked towards the entrance of his apartment building and noticed his landlord at the front step, moving boxes onto the porch and staring at Sungchan like he had seen a ghost. Sungchan looked at the boxes and immediately recognized the gold picture frame of his mother standing right on top, his eyebrows furrowed as he snapped his head to look back at his landlord.

“You weren’t supposed to be here,” he said.

“What do you _mean_ I’m not supposed to be here? I _live_ here!” Sungchan argued, “why is all my stuff outside— what’s going on?!”

“You were picked up by a black BMW earlier, weren’t you?”

Sungchan blinked rapidly, “yeah? So?!”

“We’ve seen it here before, do you think we’re _stupid?!”_ The landlord began to raise his voice, “we thought you were _dead!_ “

“I was having dinner! What does it matter what car I was picked up in?!” Sungchan huffed and picked up his boxes before his landlord blocked his entrance, “I pay rent, what are you _doing—?!”_

“You’re not allowed in my building anymore. We don’t want you here.”

“But I didn’t do anything!”

“Leave! Or I’ll call the police!”

His landlord slammed the door and held it closed, staring at Sungchan until he left. Angry, cold, and confused, he knew he couldn’t carry all of his belongings with him. He left a lot behind in those boxes, only carrying a good amount of clothes and his most valuable possessions with him, those being the framed picture of his mother, his heavy can of loose change, and his textbooks. He had nowhere to go.

He wandered for an hour, the bitter wind biting at his nose as Sungchan remember he left his scarf behind. He finally stopped at a bathhouse that he was almost positive belonged to thugs, but he had no choice, it was the only place he could afford to stay at and the only place that had lockers big enough to store some of his belongings. The rest he had begged to placed behind the desk, but the cashier, who could’ve cared less for his situation, reminded him that there would no guarantee that his stuff would be here when he left. He didn’t care. His fingers were close to falling off.

After a shower and some time in a sauna, he ate a few hard-boiled eggs to himself and stared at his phone, his eyes wandering over Jaehyun’s number as he contemplated. Jaehyun told him to call him for anything, but Sungchan was sure that it was a formality that was extended for going out for coffee or maybe lunch, not a place to stay. Aggravated and on his last egg, he shoved it in his mouth and fell back on the heated floors, his eyes falling heavy.

When Sungchan woke up the next morning, it was ten twenty.

His campus was 15 minutes away and he only had ten minutes to get ready and leave.

“No, _no!_ _Fuck!_ “ Sungchan yelled, earning glares from the rest of the patrons. He slipped on his feet and sprinted towards the lockers, ripping off his clothing and putting on clean clothes for the day before grabbing his belongings. The box was weighing him down but the cashier already told him it was a liability if he left it here, leaving him no choice but to run outside to the nearest bus station.

The cold yesterday left the sidewalks slick, Sungchan slipping a few times as he ran through the streets, avoiding people who were walking leisurely and watching the bus drive past him and towards the bus stop. If he sprinted, he would make it.

God had a cruel way of testing him, however, as he hit a patch of ice and hit someone’s arm, their coffee spilling on his face as his head collided with concrete, his box of possessions hitting the ground, and hearing his mother’s picture frame shatter.

Sungchan groaned in pain, his head spinning and eyes clenched. He opened his eyes to see the bus had left him behind, sighing heavily as another head leaned over his, a familiar blond with a scowl on his face.

“Are you just going to lay there or are you going to buy me a new coffee?”

Sungchan’s eyes flashed open. He sat up slowly and did his best to retrieve his things, remembering his test, “I’m sorry. I really have to go.”

“You just ate shit and you’re still going to take off running?” Jaemin scoffed.

“Listen, I’m _really_ sorry about your coffee, but my test is in,” Sungchan looked at his watch, “ten minutes, and I have to leave. I’m still far.”

“Where?”

“Sorry?”

“Where’s your stupid test?”

“Seoul Nati—“

“Come on,” Jaemin said, throwing the cracked frame on top of Sungchan’s box. Sungchan stumbled onto his feet and followed his brother towards an expensive car, opening the trunk with a remote button and taking the dented cardboard box from his hands to shove it in his car. Sungchan stood stunned at the gesture as Jaemin glared at him from the front seat, nodding towards the passenger, “are you going to stand there like an idiot or are you going to get in?”

Sungchan did what he was told and stepped inside the warm car. Jaemin instructed him to put on his seatbelt and to hold on, Sungchan terrified of what was to come next.

They waited for a minute until Jaemin hastily pulled out from the side of the road onto the main road, passing other drivers on the road. Jaemin grinned whenever Sungchan flinched at close calls, the tires making violent sounds against the concrete as they passed several red lights. He got nervous whenever they passed by police cars, but all they did was shake their head and look back down, knowing that they would never catch up to Jaemin at the speed he was going.

“Aren’t you afraid of getting pulled over?” Sungchan asked through bated breath, his hand tightening on the handle.

“Would I be driving like this if I was afraid of being pulled over, Sungchan?” Jaemin snipped. “Honestly, for being an SNU student you’re stupider than I thought.”

Sungchan frowned, earning a laugh from Jaemin.

“And sensitive too.”

Jaemin pulled a hard stop in front of his university, Sungchan’s seatbelt all but choking him while he grabbed the front of the car.

“Alright. Get out.”

Sungchan stifled a scoff before clicking his seatbelt off, “can you pop the trunk? I need to get my box?”

Jaemin shook his head, “you have five minutes and you want to waste it by carrying shit around? It’s fine, I’ll keep it in the car. I have to talk to you anyway.”

Sungchan bit his lip and looked at his watch. He really couldn’t afford to be late and simply nodded, closing the door and sprinting towards his building.

“ _I’ll be here when you’re finished!”_ Jaemin yelled through the window.

Two hours passed in a blur as Sungchan finished his exam. His friends invited him out for a celebratory lunch and he would’ve accepted had it not been him remembering that Jaemin was waiting for him in the parking lot. He refused this time, apologizing quickly in advance and telling them that he would go out tomorrow. Satisfied with his answer, they left him behind and told him they would call to set something up before he made his way back to the car.

He was surprised to find it still there if he were speaking honestly. He half expected for Jaemin to up and leave, but, he was inside, his arms crossed and his head resting against the car seat fast asleep. Sungchan swallowed and knocked on the window, but Jaemin did not move, only unlocking the door with his hand.

Sungchan placed his bag on the ground and watched Jaemin incredulously, “how did you know that it was me?”

“Who else would knock on my window?”

“I don’t know, a freak? A carjacker?”

Jaemin smiled, “unlikely.”

“Are you hungry?” Jaemin asked, turning his car on and searching through his phone for restaurants nearby. When Sungchan didn’t answer, he lifted his head and gave him a quizzical look, “what?”

“Why…” Sungchan cleared his throat, “why are you being nice to me?”

“Do you want me to be a dick?”

“I mean, no.”

“Then?”

Sungchan sighed and moved his backpack on his lap again, “there’s a pizza place down the street if you want to go there.”

“Perfect. I was just thinking about it.”

The car ride was silent. There was no music playing, no idle chitchat, nothing. A ride with a stranger would’ve been more relaxing, but to Sungchan’s relief, it was a short ride. It was a fifteen-minute way by walking or a five-minute drive in his case, his fingers drumming on his knees until Jaemin parked a street over.

The two walk towards the restaurant and take a seat at a random booth while Sungchan finally removed his coat, revealing the coffee stain he had been hiding this entire time. It made Jaemin smile a little, but he ignored him otherwise, looking over the menu at the various pizza types.

“So,” Jaemin started once the waitress left. “Are you going to tell me why you were running around with a box in your hands or do I have to ask?”

_You just asked,_ Sungchan thought to himself. “I told you, I was late for an exam.”

“Did your exam require you to bring a box full of clothes, a picture of a woman, and a can of change?”

Sungchan furrowed his eyebrows, “you looked?”

Jaemin shrugged, “I was curious. Who’s the lady?”

“She’s my mother, before you say anything else,” Sungchan placed a boundary clear as day. Blatant disrespect towards himself would be tolerated, but to say anything about his late mother?

Jaemin replied before Sungchan could finish the thought, “I wasn’t going to say anything. I figured she was your mom, which is why I didn’t say anything.”

“Were you going to if she wasn’t?”

“No?” Jaemin said, almost offended. “Maybe I can be a little dry sometimes but I’m not a piece of shit.”

_Could’ve convinced me otherwise,_ Sungchan thought.

“So? The reason?”

Jaemin reminded Sungchan of a snake. His way of speaking was smooth and leisurely, seemingly harmless until he was wrapped around his prey, gradually putting pressure until he was completely suffocated. Sungchan frowned and knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this to himself long anyway.

“Last night, when I got home, my landlord was packing my things outside of the building,” he admitted, his voice low. “I asked him what he was doing and he only told me that he thought I wasn’t coming back. He asked me all these questions about the car that picked me up and how I knew the people because they had seen the car before. He seemed terrified, he didn’t let me back in.”

“I couldn’t really bring all of my stuff with me, obviously. I picked what was important and I left. Simple.”

“Where are you living now?” Jaemin asked nonchalantly, shoving pizza into his mouth.

“Nowhere, I guess. I stayed at a bathhouse last night.”

“The Lucky Lady?”

Sungchan blinked, “how did you know?”

Jaemin shrugged and continued to chew, “it’s the only place with lockers big enough. Plus, I know who owns it. Their boiled eggs are so fucking good.”

“They are pretty tasty,” Sungchan hummed to himself.

“Where are you going to stay?” Jaemin asked again, “I doubt dorms are accepting applications right now.”

Sungchan shrugged, “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far yet. I’ll probably stay at another bathhouse tonight.”

“Do you have money for it?”

Sungchan was soon getting frustrated with all the questions. It was bad enough that Jaemin was barely paying attention to him, listening to him passively as he typed on his phone and ate pizza. It was condescending and humiliating, to be prying out his situation like it was entertainment to him.

Jaemin looked up from his phone when he didn’t answer and waited for a response, “well?”

“As I said, I’ll figure it out,” Sungchan snapped.

Jaemin looked at Sungchan and smiled in amusement, slinking down in his chair and resting his feet on the spot next to Sungchan, his arms crossing and giving his brother a shit-eating grin, “so, let me reiterate what you just said to me.”

“You got kicked out, you’re broke, and you have nothing to your name except a picture of your mommy and a few shitty rags. Correct?”

Sungchan bit his tongue, fuming.

“Your plan, Mr. Pre-Med, is to hop around Seoul’s _finest_ bathhouses until you find a place to stay for fifteen cents and pocket lint?”

“I’ll get a job—“

“—that’ll pay for your tuition. Right?” Jaemin interrupted. “What about food? Your bills?”

Jaemin laughed, “it’s cute.”

Sungchan shot up from his spot on the booth and gathered his coat and his box, kicking Jaemin’s feet away from his bench. Jaemin watched him.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving.”

“Where?”

“ _Anywhere,_ but here,” Sungchan seethed. “I’m not going to sit here and let some pretentious asshole sit here and degrade me for not having a plan. I’m glad I could be your fucking entertainment for the day.”

Jaemin rolled his eyes at the dramatics, “Jaehyun Hyung has a guest house.”

Sungchan’s hand paused over the door of the restaurant. He swallowed and turned around, watching Jaemin walk towards him.

“He doesn’t use it. It’s where Jihyun noona’s mom lived when they first had Hyerim, but it’s been empty ever since. I texted him and asked. He said it was fine.”

The heat from anger in his ears traveled into his neck and face in embarrassment as Sungchan tried to wrap his head around what he was saying.

“Sit, Sungchan,” Jaemin said firmly, pushing him towards their table.

He sat back down in his spot as Jaemin took a seat in front of him, leaning in with a serious look on his face.

“There’s a lot you don’t know yet,” Jaemin said in a low whisper. “But you being kicked out of your apartment isn’t a coincidence. The old man knew what he was doing and it was fucked up, what he did to you. I also texted Mark Hyung to sort things out.”

“The rest of your things are at Jaehyun hyung’s house, waiting to be sorted,” Jaemin pulled away and crossed his arms again. “You can live with Jaehyun Hyung or you can live in brothels disguised as bathhouses, you pick.”

Suddenly, the sticky sauna made sense.

“Good,” Jaemin said. “Let’s go, then.”

If the drive to the pizza place was uncomfortable, the drive to Jaehyun’s home was insufferable. The hour drive had been reduced to thirty minutes with Jaemin’s horrendous driving, but Sungchan was thankful for it, especially since it meant less time around him. They arrived at the black gate in no time, the house the same as it was yesterday except there were no cars parked in front.

Jaemin parked the car and tilted his head towards the door, “go on. I’ll open the trunk from here so you can get your things.”

Sungchan nodded and moved to open the car door before he paused. He winced to himself internally before taking a deep breath, facing Jaemin, “thank you.”

“Don’t. I’m only doing this because I think you’ll be useful later on,” Jaemin snipped. “Hurry up. You’re letting the warm air out.”

Sungchan stepped out of the car and towards the back of it, the trunk open like Jaemin said as he retrieved his things and made his way towards the front door. When Sungchan turned around, Jaemin was already on the other side of the driveway, leaving him like an abandoned dog.

He clicked the button like he did the day before, but instead of Jihyun or Jaehyun answering, it was an older woman, small and kind as she welcomed Sungchan inside from the cold.

“You must be Sungchan,” Mrs. Chu smiled. “I’m the housekeeper of the home when your brother or his wife is not around. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of me than them most days. You can call me Mrs. Chu, but Hyerim calls me Granny every so often.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Sungchan said politely, taking his shoes off at the door and following her through the house.

“Would you like something to eat, dear?”

“No, I’m okay. I was just with Jaemin hyung earlier, I ate then.”

“Of course. Follow me, I just finished cleaning the guest home.”

Mark had given Sungchan a tour of the home yesterday, but it mainly consisted of the features of the home, which happened to be the game room upstairs where Jaehyun spent a lot of his time, and the bathrooms just in case one was taken. They had passed the bathroom he used to wash his hands in yesterday and followed through a large hallway, showcasing just how massive the house was.

“This is the hallway to your brother’s office,” Mrs. Chu introduced. She pointed out a large oak door, “this is where he works, it’s locked except when he’s in there, but he still appreciates if you knock if you should enter.”

Sungchan nodded as Mrs. Chu turned left toward another glass corridor, surprised to find out that it was warm despite the cold coming from the windows. He looked at his feet and gathered that it was thanks to the heated flooring. Sungchan knew people had it installed, but he couldn’t believe it either way.

“This is where you’ll be staying, dear,” Mrs. Chu unlocked the door and handed Sungchan the key. “It is a bit small, I hope you’ll be fine since you’re so tall.”

It was small, but it was more than anything Sungchan ever expected. The guest home almost imitated the decor of the main home and was about the size of a normal studio apartment in Seoul, but much, _much_ nicer. He looked around in disbelief, his boxes of belongings on the other side of the home.

Mrs. Chu showed him all the functions, the kitchen, the living room, and the bed that was lofted above the kitchen and bathroom. The only issue Sungchan could see was the size of the shower, but Mrs. Chu told him he was welcome to use one of the showers in the main house if he needed to. It was unlikely that he would, wanting to be out of Jaehyun’s way as much as possible.

“Well, then, I think that’s everything,” Mrs. Chu smiled. “This key opens the door right outside the hallway. You can come in that way as well, but with it being so cold, it’s better to enter through the main house and go through the hallways. A nuisance, I know.”

“Not at all,” Sungchan said, “thank you.”

“Of course. If you need me, I’ll be inside. Feel free to call me for anything.”

Sungchan nodded and watched her close the door behind her before falling on the couch. He smiled at the fabric, as it was nicer than anything he had ever sat on before while a large TV stood in front of him. He got up quickly and set the picture of his mother next to him, although cracked, he would buy a new one later.

“This is nice, isn’t it Mom?” He asked, turning the picture frame so she could face the TV.

He spent the rest of the day unpacking his things and placing them in their respective drawers. The stairs to the bed, he noticed, were also drawers. He stored his summer clothing in there along with a few random belongings. In the last box at the very bottom, he found a thick envelope with a heart scribbled on it. Sungchan furrowed his eyebrows and opened the envelope to find a wad of cash inside with a note scribbled on the tab.

_This is your deposit and this month’s rent that you last paid for that shit hole. Save it, or buy some new socks, either way, it’s yours. —Mark._

Sungchan snorted and grabbed 50,000 won to place in his wallet, placing the rest in his savings can.

When he was finally finished with unpacking, he sat on the ground and ate a random tangerine that was left in his apartment, still looking around. He sat back and thought back about what Jaemin had said before he left, and even what Mark said before that. When he met Irene a week before, she never told him what his brothers did for a living, and his mother never spoke about his father, the word banned from their home.

Whatever they did, it was enough for beautiful homes with smaller homes attached, police ignorance, and elusiveness around Sungchan’s old home.

Although it bothered him deeply, fatigue bothered him more as he laid his head on the warm floor, his head propped up by a random pillow as he fell asleep.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i already forgot what this was about hehe
> 
> anyway do u guys love hyerim yes no she is kind of my favorite here she's a queen 
> 
> who is ur favorite character lemme know! :D

A week had finally passed in the Jung household as Sungchan slowly but surely acclimated to his new home. There was never a worry about lack of food or too cold of a night. If Sungchan were too cold, he would simply turn on the heater, if he was hungry, all he had to do was write down what he wanted on a notepad on the kitchen counter. Although he had these luxuries, Sungchan was much too embarrassed to use them—if he was hungry, he used whatever he had in his bank account to gather groceries on his own. Of course, he would receive the dishes that the housekeeper gave him, but never daring to ask his brother or Jihyun for anything more. He was already inconveniencing them by living in their home, the last thing he wanted to be a freeloader. 

Sungchan tried to make his appearance known as little as possible, when he was finished with the exams he had for the day, he would make a straight line towards the guest house after greeting and chatting with the housekeeper. She was right when she said he would be seeing more of her than his brother and his family. He was well asleep whenever they got home or deep in studying. The only time Sungchan left the guest house was to gather a book he had forgotten at the front door. 

On the morning of the day before his last exam, he woke up to find snow surrounding the home. He could see it through his window that was adjacent to his bed, but he remembered the large, ceiling to floor windows that were in the living room, and decided to study in there. He looked at the time, it was 10:30, most of the inhabitants of the home would be gone by now, except Mrs. Chu, who never bothered him if he was studying. 

He gathered his things to the living room in the main home and greeted the housekeeper, asking her permission if he was allowed to study in the living room. She almost swatted him on the back for asking such a silly question, of course, he was allowed! Sungchan only laughed a response and took a seat in front of the fireplace, setting his old laptop on the ground with his textbook right next to him. 

He watched the wind swirl the snow into spirals when he was eating his breakfast Mrs. Chu brought out, a simple meat side dish with an egg and a bowl of rice, and snacked on tangerines while he studied. Chemistry was his strongest subject, it was his literature class that was giving him grief, along with his introductory English class that was running circles around him. Fed up with reading in both Korean and English, he closed his textbooks and looked at the time on his phone, 2:30. He had enough time to take a nap before his brother came home, his eyes shutting closed as he basked in the fireplace’s warmth. 

Sungchan woke up to giggling above his head, his eyes peeling open to see Hyerim sitting next to him, her knees to her chest as she watched him with a smile. He quickly sat up and noticed the wave of tangerine slices falling onto his lap, Hyerim stacking them on his face while he slept. 

“Mommy! Sungchanie is awake!” She called, jumping over him and hopping over the couch. She tripped and fell on her knees before getting up again, her mother giving her a warning glance before she came into the room. 

Jihyun’s hair was still wrapped in her ponytail from work this morning, a gentle smile on her face as she leaned against the couch. 

“Morning,” she teased. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?” 

Sungchan dazed and glanced at the clock. 

6:45. 

Sungchan really needed to set a stronger alarm. 

“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude!” He said quickly, gathering the tangerine pieces off the ground and placing them on a nearby plate. 

“You’re interesting, you know that? You live here and you still think you are intruding.” 

“Technically, I live in the guest house,” he admitted shyly. “I don’t want to be in your way.” 

“You’re not in the way. I was wondering when you were going to leave that cave, it gets depressing in there,” Jihyun shuddered. Sungchan held in a scoff, how could anyone be depressed in a home like that? “Anywho, come eat dinner! Mrs. Chu doesn’t appreciate when we don’t eat.”

“But—?”

“No buts, move!” 

Today’s menu was curry. Sungchan sat in a chair in the dining room and watched as Jihyun handed Hyerim a plate, to which she began digging in immediately. He crossed his legs in the small chair and waited for Jihyun to start eating before he did, taking a spoonful of rice and chicken into his mouth and chewing quietly to himself. His eyes widened slightly but kept any exclamations to himself, shocked at how curry could be so delicious. It burned the roof of his mouth but still, he tried his best to eat slowly to not reveal how starving he was. It seemed that it failed, however, as Jihyun gave him one glance and gave him a smug smile. 

“Good, huh?” She laughed. Sungchan couldn’t help but laugh with her even as his ears burned. “Better than the chicken you order almost every night?”

“Is it obvious?”

“Hyerim tells me she smells it every time. I had to stop her from barging into your room.” 

Sungchan grimaced, “Sorry.” 

“I don’t mind! I’m only concerned about your nutrition,” Jihyun explained. “Also privacy reasons, I don’t know if I can hold her back this time.” 

Sungchan laughed and poked at his food before continuing to chew. Much like the dinner a few days ago, Sungchan looked around for his brother, stealing glances at the front door, “is Jaehyun Hyung home?” 

She shook her head, “nope. He won’t be home for another hour or two.”

“He also doesn’t mind if you have meals in the dining room, by the way,” Jihyun explained. “Mrs. Chu always makes enough for us all, and he’d prefer that you eat with us too.” 

“He doesn’t think I’m a freeloader?” 

Jihyun pressed her lips together to hide a laugh before shaking her head, “we’ve had a freeloader live with us before, Sungchan. You’re definitely not a freeloader.”

“Mommy, I’m done!” Hyerim announced, wiggling out of her high chair before Jihyun could tell her she was fine to go. Sungchan watched her run into the kitchen and dump her bowl in the sink before running off into the living room to presumably play. He looked back at Jihyun, who chewed quietly and looked at her phone. 

“May I ask something?” 

Jihyun looked up, “of course.” 

“Jaehyun…Hyung,” it still felt strange, saying the honorific out loud even though Jihyun was the one who encouraged him to say it, “wasn’t all that interested in knowing or even learning about who I was two weeks ago…I guess I’m confused as to why he thought it was a good idea to take me in.”

Jihyun hummed pensively while she chewed, “to be honest, I thought it was interesting too. The first day you came though, he did put a lot of thought as to who you were, and I’m also certain that if you had met Jaehyun in another circumstance not curated by Irene, he would’ve been more open to you…maybe.” 

“Maybe?”

Jihyun smiled, “you’ve been here long enough to know how quickly he changes. I’ve been here long enough to know how to adapt to it.”

“You don’t think you could give me a few pointers, do you?” Sungchan asked bashfully, watching Jihyun’s face light up before she looked at her watch. 

“Jaehyun is going to be home in about twenty minutes, you’ll see then. If he had a good day at work, he’ll take off his tie and greet Hyerim every time. If you ever want to ask him about anything that would be your time to do so.”

“So if he doesn’t greet Hyerim he’s not in a good mood?” 

Jihyun tilted her head back and forth to think about an appropriate answer, “it’s not so much that he’s not in a good mood. He thinks maybe more than he should. Despite that, he’s an open book, Hyerim notices it too and asks too many questions. Usually, he comes to see me or goes to the bathroom to recalibrate himself.” 

Sungchan nodded, “makes sense. Whatever he does, it must be a lot, considering the house we’re sitting in.” 

Jihyun laughed, “you’re right about that, at least.” 

The two continue to chat mindlessly until they hear the front door beep before the sound of a door opening and closing follows. Sungchan noticed Hyerim peek from her spot on the floor and watched carefully as Jaehyun removed his tie and squatted. He opened his arms and Hyerim was quick to run into the embrace, giggling at the kisses her father gave her before throwing her in the air a few times for good measure. 

Sungchan looked back at Jihyun, who winked. 

Jaehyun placed a final kiss on Hyerim’s head before setting her down and telling her to go back to playing. He walked towards the dining and paused, his eyebrows raised, “oh, hey! I didn’t think you’d be in here.”

“I forced him to eat dinner with us,” Jihyun grinned. She grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss, causing Sungchan to look away at the awkward display of affection. “How was work?”

“Good. Suspiciously good, but I won’t think too much about it,” Jaehyun smacked his lips. “Curry? Is there any left?”

“If your daughter left any, it’ll be in the pot.” Jihyun looked back at Sungchan, a smile on her lips before she mouthed told you so.

“How are you holding up, Sungchan?” Jaehyun asked once he returned, taking a seat next to his wife. “Adjusting well?”

“Perfectly, thank you again, I really can’t—“ 

“thank me enough?“ Jaehyun finished with a smirk, “it’s fine. You don’t have to keep thanking me, I would hate to see you stay in that place, the cold even.” 

“Did you ever speak to the landlord?” Jihyun asked, smoothening the few strands of hair on the side of his face. 

“I tried yesterday, but everyone told me he packed up and left,” he sighed. “I have a funny taste in my mouth telling me Mark Lee had something to do with it, but I’ll let it go.” 

Sungchan swallowed harshly, “he’s not going to try and find me right? The landlord?” 

Jaehyun smiled and shook his head, “No. I don’t think you have to worry about that.” 

The trio continued to chew through their food until Jihyun eventually finished first, standing up to take her plate to the kitchen to wash. Sungchan bit his tongue when he realized his fear had come true, being left alone in a room with his estranged brother. The conversation went fairly well the first time they were alone, but they really haven’t uttered a single word to each other since then. It was painstakingly awkward, so much so that Sungchan couldn’t stop clenching his teeth. 

“I’m not that terrible to be around, am I?”

Sungchan’s eyes widened, his head snapping up to quickly disagree, “n-no! That’s not it at all! I just…” 

Sungchan took a deep breath. 

‘If you ever want to ask him about anything, that would be your time to do so. Jihyun’s voice rang in Sungchan’s head, even glancing over at Jihyun who silently urged him to ask. 

“Can I ask you something? H-Hyung?” Sungchan tried to ignore how foreign the honorific felt. 

“Of course.” 

Sungchan cleared his throat, “I was talking to Jihyun noona earlier about when I first came here. I was basically confused about how, then, you didn’t seem so interested in me. Which, is fine, really—I understand the apprehension, which is why I was really conflicted about coming here.” 

Sungchan quickly realized he was rambling again and sighed heavily, “what I’m trying to ask is, why did you agree to take me in? You didn’t owe me anything. I suppose I’m confused as to why you’re being so…kind?” 

It was quiet for a moment. Sungchan was afraid that he had overstepped his boundary until a snort came shortly after. He watched his brother’s reaction to see a small smile on his lips.

“You’re wondering why I’m not being a dick like Jaemin?” 

“More or less,” Sungchan grumbled. “Even then, Jaemin Hyung showed me way more compassion than I had expected from him.” 

“He definitely surprised me, I didn’t even think he knew that I had a fucking guest home.” 

“Daddy!”

“Shit,” he whispered. Jaehyun held out his hand in front of Sungchan, “you have to pinch me.” 

“Sorry?” 

Jaehyun nudged to the glaring pair of eyes from the living room, Hyerim scolding him for his foul language, “go on.”

Sungchan pinched his brother quickly, glancing over at Hyerim, who nodded and went back to her toys. Jaehyun snorted, “anyway, to answer your question—“ 

“I’m not an evil person, Sungchan,” Jaehyun paused for a moment, almost as if he had to clarify it was true, “or at least, I don’t think I am. I’m overprotective and I’m an over-thinker, so you have to understand why I was apprehensive like you said. However, I did think it through for a while, Jihyun and I even argued about it, about you, I suppose.” 

Sungchan grimaced, “Sorry.” 

Jaehyun shook his head, “I didn’t tell you that to make you feel bad, I say that to say that a lot of thinking happen. Then, when we talked that night, I understood that you were overwhelmed, not even about the party, but about everything.“ 

Jaehyun gave Sungchan a reassuring smile, “Living by yourself when you’ve never done it before, cooking by yourself when you’ve never done it before, it’s hard, isn’t it? A lot of it is a great deal confusing too when you think about it.” 

“Spoken like someone who knows,” Sungchan added timidly. 

“Someone who knows, who went through it, and had to help their two brothers go through the same,” he chuckled. 

“And the third, as well, if he’ll stop hiding from me.” 

“He’ll… try,” Sungchan said. 

The two men laugh quietly to themselves. It’s a comfortable silence between them after that, now that the brunt of Sungchan’s doubt had been taken out. Sungchan promised his brother to be around the house more often after that, whether it be eating dinner with them again or just studying out in the living room like he did this morning, while Jaehyun promised that he was going to try and be more approachable moving forward. 

Sungchan gathered his things from the living room and moved back to the guest home after bidding everyone a goodnight. He would have to get up tomorrow early for his last exam, falling into his bedsheets that night with his stomach full and warm. 

He woke up early the next morning to get ready to go to school. Mrs. Chu arrived at around the same time Sungchan was to leave the house. Usually, he left in the same car she arrived in, opting to save on trips back and forth considering they were a ways from campus. He usually arrived on campus much earlier, but he took advantage of it by going by the nearby restaurants to eat a full breakfast. However, when Sungchan stepped into the kitchen, he noticed that Mrs. Chu was nowhere to be found, but rather his brother standing in the kitchen, slurping coffee to himself as he read through a packet of work. 

Jaehyun looked up and greeted him, Sungchan offering a shy wave as he looked around for the housekeeper. 

“Is Mrs. Chu not coming today?” 

Jaehyun shook his head, “I think she has the day off today, something about seeing her grandchildren, why? Do you need her?”

“Uh, no. I asked because I usually take the car she comes in to school.” 

Jaehyun looked at his watch, “at five-thirty in the morning?” 

“My last final is at nine, I like to get there an hour early just to review some time with my friends. Not to mention, it’s an hour drive and sometimes I like to eat breakfast.” 

Jaehyun looked at him incredulously before he scoffed, “meticulous?” 

“I’m going to be a surgeon, I sure hope to be meticulous,” he teased in return. 

“I can call the driver if you would like,” Jaehyun paused, “oh wait. Do you have your license?” 

He did. But Sungchan really had no practice with driving except the delivery truck he helped a neighbor drive a few times, “I…do.”

Jaehyun laughed, “not good at driving?”

“I’m pretty good! I passed it with no mistakes. I know how to drive in theory but in execution, I find it to be difficult.” 

“Well,” Jaehyun slurped his coffee once more, “you can take the Volvo, it’s pretty easy to drive. Unless you want to take the Bentley.” 

Sungchan’s eyes widened as he shook his head, “uh, no. I’ll take the Volvo.” 

Jaehyun snorted, “stay for breakfast. Everyone else should be waking up soon.” 

He did just that. He sat on the couch awkwardly as he listened to his brother cook in the kitchen. Sungchan’s eyes were glued to his phone, scrolling through reviews before he switched to his flashcards, running over them a few more times before he scrolled mindlessly on social media. 

At around six o’clock, he heard small footsteps coming down from the stairs that later turned into feet dragging against the carpet. Sungchan turned his head to see Hyerim walking towards her father half-asleep, rubbing her eyes until she made it to her destination, her arms appearing from the top of the island as Jaehyun lifted her. Sungchan watched as he gave her a few kisses before wiping her eyes of something, speaking to her quietly. Sungchan had noticed Hyerim had been crying, looking a bit down for the first time as Jaehyun placed a few containers in front of her. 

Jihyun woke up next, yawning loudly and placing her hand on Sungchan’s head as a silent greeting. He had returned the smile he gave her as she also made her way to the kitchen, kissing Hyerim’s forehead before walking to drink a glass of water. 

“You okay?” He had heard Jihyun ask Hyerim. The younger only mumbled a soft yes before Jihyun picked her up and brought her back into the living room, where they sat next to Sungchan. 

“She has night terrors,” Jihyun explained to him quietly. Sungchan let out a small sound of acknowledgment. 

Sungchan himself used to have night terrors as a child. They lasted throughout the fourth grade, much older than Hyerim was. He remembered waking up and seeing his mother crying with him, trying her best to soothe him despite her own exhaustion and grievances. The only thing that he remembered that helped him was sleeping next to his mother for a few weeks until he got over it eventually. That, and white noise.

“Have you ever tried playing sounds when she’s sleeping?” 

Jihyun tilted her head, “like?”

“My mom used to play rain sounds before I went to sleep. Granted, it was nearing the end of my terrors but I think it helped a lot.”

“Do you still listen to rain sounds?”

Sungchan shook his head, “not as much anymore. I only used to get them because I was bullied a lot as a kid.”

Jihyun paused, “…do you think…Hyerim…?”

She trailed off once Sungchan understood what she was implying. He quickly edited, “it depends, I think? Some kids have them because they watched something scary once. Some kids have them because they’re stressed for some reason. Other kids, like me, had them because they were afraid to go to school.” 

Jihyun took a deep breath, “whatever it is, I can’t get her to tell me. It’s been worrying me.” 

“She’ll tell you,” Sungchan assured, “she’s probably still too embarrassed to do it now, but I know that she will.” 

Jihyun’s shoulders relaxed as she exhaled again, kissing the now sleeping Hyerim on the top of her head, “can you hold her? She only sleeps unless she feels someone else.”

“Sure,” Sungchan held out his arms as Jihyun placed the five-year-old in his hold.

“Once she’s out, she’s out,” Jihyun smiled, “you don’t have to worry about waking her up if you rustle around.”

Sungchan chuckled, “that’s a relief.” 

Jihyun left the living room to go back into the kitchen where Jaehyun was now plating and moving finished dishes on the table. Jihyun had left to help finish setting the table, setting up bowls of rice and utensils for four. Jaehyun came over once he was finished to take Hyerim from Sungchan’s lap, waking her up gently with a tickle to her feet and a kiss to her nose. Once the smell of food entered her nostrils, she opened her eyes and stared blearily at the table, sitting in her spot and watching her rice blankly. 

“You’re so cute,” Jaehyun laughed, kissing her cheeks as Hyerim picked up her spoon. 

“Today is your last final, isn’t it?” Jihyun asked. 

“Yep, introductory English,” he grumbled, poking at his rice a bit too aggressively. 

Jaehyun laughed, “what’s the test about?” 

“It’s not so much a test, it’s a presentation, half of it is in English and the other half is supposed to be in Korean. It’s supposed to juxtapose…” Sungchan frowned, “I don’t really know what it’s supposed to juxtapose. I don’t even think I know what juxtapose means.” 

Jihyun scoffed, “beats me. That’s why I went to culinary school.”

“You know, Jaehyun is fluent in English,” Jihyun grinned, looking at her husband who had a glare on his face. “You should ask him, he always tries to show off.” 

“I don’t.”

“You aren’t fluent or you don’t show off?” 

“Both,” Jaehyun snorted. 

“Bullsh—“Jihyun quickly caught her tongue, “you’re so full of it. He worked out in the states for five years, Sungchan. Way fluent, he watches American TV shows without the subtitles.”

“You’re full of shit,” Jaehyun suddenly said in English, safe from Hyerim’s ears, “you’re acting like you’re not fluent either!” 

“It’s different,” she replied, shrugging nonchalantly, “I only learned how to say go fuck yourself.” 

Sungchan knew enough English to know what that meant. He glanced over at Hyerim, who was entirely too concentrated on placing a piece of meat on top of her spoon. The couple continued their rant in English, Sungchan watching back and forth as they spat rebuttals and what he assumed were insults at each other. 

Maybe he should’ve paid more attention in class. 

The banter soon ended as the food slowly disappeared from the plates. Jihyun and Jaehyun had returned to bickering in their mother tongue, playfully arguing until Jaehyun silenced her with a kiss. Jihyun rolled her eyes before shutting the dishwasher closed.

Sungchan glanced at his watch, he still had a half-hour until he had to leave. He wouldn’t be spending too much time studying with his friends considering that he got caught up with breakfast, but he didn’t mind, he liked to think that he got a refresher course from the argument that he heard just now. 

Before Sungchan left, Jaehyun handed him the keys to the Volvo, showing him where the garage was before taking Hyerim upstairs to play before he left for work. 

The Volvo, Sungchan found, had been turned on via remote control and was already warm when he stepped inside. He took his time to acclimate to the car's settings, lowering the seat, adjusting the mirror and the steering wheel before he looked for the garage door remote that his brother instructed him to use. When he took too long to find it, it opened anyway, Jihyun looking at him with a smile as she waved him goodbye. 

Jaehyun was right when he said the Volvo was easier to drive. It took turns smoothly and ran quietly enough for him to hear the navigation guiding him on his way to school. He wouldn’t have a parking pass, so he would have to park on the guest lots a bit away from his building, but he didn’t mind. He quite enjoyed the walks around such a large campus. 

When he arrived at the parking garage, he locked the car door and slung his back over his shoulder, taking a deep breath and preparing himself mentally to speak in two different languages. 

Sungchan wiped the sweat off of his hands as he stepped outside of the classroom with a deep sigh. His last exam was finally over and he no longer had to worry about school for at least another month. He took the car key out from his pocket and walked towards the car lot, not expecting someone to come up next to him and shove him playfully.

“What are you doing going to the guest parking lot?” Yeri grinned. She picked up the car key from the ground and stared at it incredulously, “holy shit, a Volvo? I didn’t know you were loaded!” 

“I’m not! It’s my brother’s car.”

Kim Yerim, or Yeri, was a nursing major who shared many intro classes with him. She started a year later, making them the same grade, but she never let him forget that she was his elder by at least two years. They were close only because she forced her way inside his shy façade, quickly becoming Sungchan’s closest friends. 

“So, your brother’s loaded?” 

“I guess.”

“What’s he do? What’s his name?”

Sungchan shrugged, “I don’t know. I just met him two weeks ago.”

“You don’t know his name?”

“Jung Jaehyun.”

Yeri scoffed, “do you have any idea how many Jung Jaehyun’s there are in Seoul, Sungchan?”

He shrugged again as Yeri looped her arm around his, “it’s not my fault that’s his name.”

The two argue about where to eat afterward, Sungchan refusing to take the luxury car out more than he had to while his friend argued that the less his brother knew, the better. It took a lot of back and forth for them to finally agree to go to Jihyun’s restaurant, Solo Mio. He began to think about whether or not he should tell Yeri about Jihyun and who she was to him. Sungchan trusted Yeri with almost everything, but he had a bad feeling about telling her about his newly found nuclear family, especially since he didn’t want to come off as smug. 

When they arrived, he was relieved to see Jihyun far from the entrance. He could just barely see her in the very back of the kitchen, redirecting and directing orders as they came in. They were busier than the last time Sungchan came with his classmates, which is another relief as she would be much too busy to come out. Yeri and Sungchan chatted freely as they waited for the waiter to come around to take their order. 

By focusing too much on Jihyun and her placement in the restaurant, he forgot to take into account the waiters and waitresses that immediately recognized him in part to his frequent visits. He burned under the menu as one of them waved at him, smiling at him brightly as Sungchan waved back. 

Yeri, thankfully, had not noticed. 

He thought he would have a chance until the waitress came around to their table, greeting Sungchan again warmly, “hey! Sungchan-nim! It’s been a while since we last saw you!” 

“I’ve been really busy with exams,” he admitted shyly. 

The waitress, Heejin, nodded, “I understand. Did you both come from taking exams?”

“Is this your girlfriend?” She winked, nudging Sungchan as he held back another gag. 

“He wishes,” Yeri grinned. “I’m his kind sunbae who pays for his meals. Not today though, he offered.”

Sungchan dropped his menu, “when did I offer that?!”

The waitress laughed, “don’t worry. I’ll tell Chef Jihyun that you’re here—“

“No, please, it’s fine!” Sungchan begged, “I don’t want Jihyun noona meeting the likes of her.”

He winced when Yeri kicked him under the table, “the likes of me?! And since when do you call the chef noona?! You don’t even call me that!” 

Sungchan gave one more final plea to the waitress silently before she finally agreed to give it a rest. 

The two finally gave their orders and waited as Sungchan awkwardly drank from his orange juice as Yeri glared at him suspiciously. 

“You never answered my question.” 

“You never asked one,” he evaded, cursing when the straw made an empty sound against the glass. 

“How do you know the chef?”

He shrugged, “we just got to know each other the last time I was here. I apologized to her formally when Hyungwon sunbae acted the way that he did and I guess she thought I was endearing.” 

“You? Endearing?” 

“It’s not impossible, there are people who think you are bright and bubbly,” Sungchan returned, watching Yeri roll her eyes. 

“I’m letting it go, but I know you’re lying to me, Jung Sungchan. When I find out, I’m not going to be merciful.” 

“Ooo, scary,” he scoffed. “You know that you’re a foot shorter than me right? Exactly.” 

Their food arrived just in time as they went back to eating and chatting nonsensically. The topic of his apartment came up, Sungchan’s hands sweating as he remembered he hadn’t told Yeri about his apartment situation yet either. He knew that once he mentioned he moved, Yeri would want to see the new place, a place that he wasn’t all that comfortable in inviting people in yet. Instead, he made up lies about how much he hadn’t cleaned and that it wasn’t fit for company, but Yeri was always the problem solver.

“Let’s go to your place after this then,” she prompted, “I’ll offer to help you clean. A lifetime opportunity.”

Sungchan rolled his eyes, “a man’s mess is vulnerability. Plus, I have rats, remember?” 

“When have rats ever scared me—?”

Sungchan noticed Jihyun come out of the kitchen and look around the dining room, Sungchan hiding behind his hand as he quietly ate. Yeri noticed this and looked at the gaze he was avoiding, snorting, “is that your noona?” 

“Fuck off,” he whispered. “Don’t be obvious.”

“Why? She’s looking right at you.”

“Don’t be a dick, Yeri. I’m not looking up.” 

Sungchan jumped nearly a foot in the air when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder and a familiar voice follows, “don’t tell me you’re that embarrassed by me, Sungchan.” 

His ears turned a bright red as Jihyun laughed and poked at him, Yeri looking confused at the jovial energy but enjoying any time that Sungchan is embarrassed. “It’s not you, Noona. I didn’t want you to meet this gremlin.”

“This gremlin is Kim. Ye. Rim,” Yeri said all too eagerly, extending a hand for Jihyun to take it into her own. “Sungchan and I have a lot of classes together.”

“Sungchan, you never mentioned knowing such a nice girl,” Jihyun playfully scolded.

“That’s because I don’t know any,” he narrowed his eyes at the supposed nice girl in front of him. 

“He’s always like that,” Yeri explained, “always trying to hide things from people. If you don’t mind asking, how do you know Sungchan so well, Jihyun unnie?” 

Sungchan stared at her incredulously, going straight for the honorific that took Sungchan weeks to get used to. That was Yeri for you. Never the one to be bashful or be ashamed…about anything.

“I’m surprised he hasn’t told you, considering you two seem so close,” Jihyun looked at Sungchan again, looking as if she wanted to scold him for keeping secrets. “I’m his brother’s wife. His sister-in-law. He also lives with us.”

Yeri turned her head slowly, glaring at the man in front of him, “Is that so?” 

Sungchan swallowed and looked at the time, “well, Yeri, I think you know how to get home from here. Um, Jihyun noona, thanks…for the meal, it was delicious, as always, I’m going to go pay and—“

Jihyun looked in between the two of them, biting her lip, “oh, did she not know? Sungchan, I’m so sorry—“ 

“No, no, this is great,” Yeri argued. “You’re right. Thank you so much for the food, Jihyun unnie. Sungchan will be paying and taking me home. I hope I get to meet his brothers soon, they seem like kind people considering they took this creature in—“ 

“Don’t worry about it,” Jihyun waved a hand, “I’ll take care of the bill.”

Sungchan shook his head, “I can’t—“

“Take it as an apology,” Jihyun smiled bashfully. 

Sungchan frowned and nodded, moving a fuming Yeri through the door. 

They sat in the car in silence as it warmed up. Sungchan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, his lips pressed together while thinking of excuses. Nothing seemed to be coming up either way, reversing out of the parking lot and heading towards Yeri’s dorm. 

“Why didn’t you tell me, Sungchan?” She asked. 

He realized he had hurt Yeri’s feelings by the way she spoke to him softly instead of yelling at him. He couldn’t blame her. He was planning on telling her everything once he was out of Jaehyun’s home and out of his way. 

“It all happened…way too fast. My brother, my biggest brother, Jaehyun Hyung let me in because he found out that I got kicked out of my apartment.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve snuck you into the dorms.”

Sungchan shook his head, “I didn’t want you to worry. Not to mention, I don’t even know the reason why I got kicked out of my apartment. I came back one night and my landlord was screaming at me to leave or else he would call the cops. My brother got it sorted out, somehow.”

“Is he nice? Your brother? Brothers?” 

Sungchan tilted his head, “Jaehyun Hyung is nice. He’s the oldest so I think he feels responsible. Jaemin Hyung…doesn’t like me too much, but I don’t blame him for that. I haven’t met my youngest brother, but I think he’s around my age, maybe younger. His name is Jisung though.” 

Yeri sighed and wiped her hands on her pants, “as long as you feel safe, Sungchan. I’d hate for something to happen to you.” 

“What does he do again? Your brother?”

Sungchan shrugged, “no clue.”

“That doesn’t raise an alarm to you?” Yeri asked. 

“I’m not really in the position to point fingers and ask questions, I’m there out of the kindness of their hearts,” Sungchan noticed that Yeri wasn’t too happy about his answer, so he offered this next, “I’ll ask Jaehyun Hyung and maybe you can come over before you leave. You can meet him if he’s there…they have a kid too. She’s sweet and I think she’ll like you.”

“Please do, I’m curious,” Yeri pressed her lips together before pulling Sungchan into a tight embrace. “Be safe. Seriously.”

He rolled his eyes, “now you’re just being dramatic.”

“It’s a specialty,” Yeri smiled. “Call me if anything, or else.” 

“I won’t.” He will. 

Yeri waved to Sungchan once more as the latter waited for her to step inside before he left. 

Yeri took the elevator up to her floor and shivered, holding her hands tightly as she shuffled quickly towards her room. Upon entering, she noticed her two roommates, Seulgi and Joy watching tv on the ground. 

“Who drives a Volvo?” Seulgi asked. 

“Sungchannie,” she replied. 

“Brokechan drives a Volvo?“ Joy asked incredulously. 

“Be nice, and yes he does. It’s his brothers.”

“Does he have any more brothers?” Seulgi asked jokingly, giggling with Joy on the floor. 

Yes, she thought to herself. Three more. Jaehyun, Jaemin, and Jisung.

She made sure to engrain those names in her memory as she went to her room, showered, and in her pajamas as she began to do her research. She started by searching Solo Mio and Jihyun’s name, which gave her Jihyun’s last name. Kim. She then started with Kim Jihyun and Jung Jaehyun, but nothing came up, causing her to pout. 

She typed in Kim Jihyun husband next, but still nothing. There were too many Kim Jihyun’s in South Korea. She groaned and decided to narrow her search. 

Kim Jihyun husband Jung Jaehyun.

She finally landed on an article, a well-covered wedding of popular restauranteur Kim Jihyun and her husband, Jung Yuno. Their marriage was only about seven years ago, but there was no doubt that it was the same Jihyun she saw earlier today. Yeri tilted her head, confused. Was this Jung Jaehyun? If it was, why was his name Yuno?

Comments were surrounding the articles about how South Korea’s #1 bachelor was finally taken, several girls mourning their loss as Yeri finally rolled her eyes and turned it off. Seulgi entered the room just then, fresh out of the shower as Yeri turned in her sheets. 

“Unnie, do you know anything about Jung Yuno? The chaebol?”

“Apart from that, he’s a God? Nothing. I know he donates to our daycare a lot. I met him once.”

“Is he nice?”

Seulgi shrugged, “he’s rich people nice. You know?”

Yeri frowned, “yeah.”

There was still one option Yeri had. She opened her phone again to text her older sister about what she knew about Jung Yuno. 

From: Irene unnie  
What all do you want to know?


End file.
